Firesoul
by CrazyFeralVigilanteDragonLady
Summary: It's been three years since Hiccup defeated Drago, and the awkward boy has become a man. But he's never been able to avoid trouble for too long; now there's a crazy witch who wants him dead and a rogue Dragon Rider with a secret. And now that there's a mysterious disease spreading through the village? Now the stakes are higher than ever. Book 2 of the Dragonheart Trilogy
1. The Wrath of Thor

**AN: Howdeedoodeethere! This is the sequel to ****_Dragonheart. _****It's set in HTTYD 2 time, and while it technically can't be considered spoilers, I would still advise against reading it until you've seen the second film. Just because. Anyway, enjoy!**

**I STILL don't own HTTYD. I'm getting sick of saying it. You'd think that, being a fanfiction archive, people would GET that I don't own it, but meh.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**The Wrath of Thor**

Hiccup didn't come to the dragon race.

The moment Astrid was given her medal, she pulled out the piece of fabric she kept for this particular purpose and let Stormfly sniff it. The Nadder was almost as familiar with Hiccup's scent as she was with Astrid's own. The sky-blue reptile winged her way out over the open ocean and Astrid sighed. Hiccup had gone island hunting again. She wondered if he had found a new island yet, and if this one had people on it. It had become a joking point for them when people screamed and ran around like headless chickens when they spotted Toothless and/or Stormfly overhead. Stormfly zeroed in on a small island, and sure enough Astrid could see Hiccup and Toothless on the edge. She landed beside Toothless, leaving her Nadder to play with the Night Fury.

"Forget something?" she asked. Hiccup turned.

"I didn't forget," he said. "I purposely stayed away."

Astrid sighed. "What did he do this time?"

"Oh, you're going to love this. I wake up, the sun is shining, the Terrible Terrors are singing on the rooftops, I saunter down to breakfast thinking all is right with the world and I get-" he dropped his voice in imitation of his father, "_SON, we need to TALK_."

"Not now, Dad!" Astrid imitated Hiccup, shrugging her shoulders. "I have a whole day of goofing off to get started on!"

"Wh-what is this character you are portraying?" Hiccup protested. "What's that thing you're doing with my shoulders?"

She shrugged a few more times to accentuate her point.

"Anyway," he said. "He says_ Son, you're the Pride of Berk. And I couldn't be prouder_."

"Aw, thanks, Dad," Astrid mimicked. "I'm pretty impressed with myself too, you know," She waved her hands around.

"Okay, first of all, I don't do that with my hands," he argued.

"You just did," Astrid pointed out.

"Okay, you've got me there. So Dad says, _Since no chief could possibly have a better successor, I've decided_-"

"To make you chief of Berk!" Astrid exclaimed. "Hiccup, that's amazing! Of course, the map would have to wait, and I'd have to fly Toothless because you'd be too busy and-"

She stopped, realising what she had just said.

"Exactly," Hiccup sighed, sitting down. "All the speeches and the leadership; that's his thing, not mine. I prefer to be out here."

"Hiccup," Astrid said, sitting beside him. "Maybe what you're looking for isn't out there. Maybe it's in here," she tapped his chest, then gave him a kiss on the cheek. She drew away almost immediately; he tasted foul!

_What in Thor's name has he been doing? _she wondered, wiping her mouth, disgusted. It hit her like a thunderbolt. _Oh, that's disgusting. Toothless spit! Ew! That is absolutely revolting!_

She wiped her mouth again.

"So what did he say to that?"

"He didn't," Hiccup said miserably. "By the time he turned around I was gone."

Astrid placed an arm comfortingly around his shoulders and traced the red insignia on his right leather shoulder guard with a finger.

"Hang on," Hiccup said suddenly. "What's that?"

She followed his gaze. A thin trail of smoke was coiling into the air.

"I don't know," she responded. She already knew what he was going to say.

"Let's check it out," he said.

_Right again, _she thought. _I know this guy better than I know myself._

She fiddled with a piece of string at her wrist, just peeking out from under her furry bracers, then climbed onto Stormfly's back, settling in the saddle. Toothless lifted off, and Astrid followed. They weaved through the trees, finally seeing a group of smoking boats. A few miserable looking Vikings were sitting nearby. They yelped in terror as they spotted the dragons closing in; a few grabbed each other like they thought they were done for. Stormfly and Toothless alit gently and Hiccup slid off of Toothless.

"What happened here?" he murmured.

"Don't hurt us! We'll give you all our weapons! Please don't hurt us!" wailed one of the stranded Vikings.

"We're not going to hurt you," Astrid reassured them, dismounting. "Are you okay?"

The terrified man nodded.

"What happened here?" Hiccup asked again.

"The Wrath of Thor," another man proclaimed. Two of the other Vikings made signs against evil over their chests, twisting their wrists around with their first two fingers and their thumbs extended, and their other two curled in.

"What's the Wrath of Thor?" Hiccup asked them, bemused.

"A Viking atop a terrible dragon that hurls lightning like Thor himself. They spread destruction and death wherever they go, and they fight for the dreadful Witch Excellinor. It's said they were sent by Thor to carry out his anger on those who earn it;"

Hiccup turned around sharply.

"There are other dragon riders?" he questioned.

"Some doubt that this rider is even fully human. A single cut from his claws is lethal."

Hiccup looked at Astrid.

"What did this dragon rider look like?" she asked gently.

"I didn't see," the man said miserably.

"I did," another interjected. "He had long, curved horns and a white cloak. I didn't see his face; he had a full head helmet on."

"Do you think you could draw it for us?" Hiccup asked. The second man bent over and drew a helmet in the dirt. It looked eerily alien; so unlike the traditional Viking helmet. It had wide openings for the rider's eyes, and there were six short horns arranged around the sides, and a pair of long horns that hooked sharply upwards at the ends.

"And the dragon?" Astrid prompted, but Hiccup answered.

"It would have to be a Skrill," he said. "It's the only dragon that shoots out genuine lightning."

"Are you okay to find your way back to your island?" Astrid asked the man.

"Yes. I'm worried about you though; it's rumoured that the Wrath of Thor is searching for the Night Fury. And you have it."

"What?" Hiccup was paying close attention now.

"The Wrath of Thor wants the Night Fury. I don't care how accomplished you are at fighting; the Wrath will kill you all if you stand in his way. And he will find you, make no mistake."

"Be careful, Nightstalker," called out another man.

"'Nightstalker?'" Hiccup said in confusion. Astrid raised an eyebrow.

"It's what our island people call you. You all remember, don't you? We thought they were stories." the man in question looked at his companions.

"I didn't want to say it, in case I looked stupid, because he looks nothing like they say," said another. "He's so skinny! But look, he has the skull on his shoulder, and the eyes of green flame,"

"Green flame? What is this rubbish?" Hiccup said incredulously.

"It's a story we tell our children. _The Nightstalker, who flies on shadow wings to protect the weak of arm and the oppressed of spirit, and wields his blade of fire with righteous fury. He is marked by the skull he wears proud and his eyes of blazing green flame._ Can we see the sword?"

"Well, that's ridiculously flattering," Hiccup muttered. He drew Inferno and lit it, and the Vikings all went 'Oooh…'. As Hiccup extinguished the blade, Astrid laughed.

"And if he's the Nightstalker," the man continued, "you must be the Sheildmaiden, the woman who fights at his side,"

Astrid doubled over laughing.

_Every female warrior is a sheildmaiden, _she thought, _but I am __**The **__Shieldmaiden. Beware all who cross me! That's hilarious._

"Do you think you could tell us where your island is? I want to hear these stories some time," she giggled. The man raised an eyebrow.

"Are they not true?" he said, genuine concern flooding his face.

"Oh no, they're true alright, but they sound hilarious. This is really amusing, _Nightstalker,_"

"You're not going to let this go, are you," Hiccup sighed.

"Nope."

Hiccup groaned.

"Anyway," he said. "We'd better get back; if this Wrath of Thor thing is after us I get the feeling we should probably tell someone."

"Fly safely, Nightstalker. I don't want to be telling my children the story of how you died," the lead Viking said. Hiccup jumped onto Toothless' back.

"Make sure to tell them that the _Nightstalker _was only a hiccup," he said. "Teach them that it's not always brawn that counts."

Astrid vaulted into the saddle and they lifted into flight, thanking the tailwind that sped them even faster to Berk. When they arrived, Astrid jumped down and announced in a loud voice; "Hail, the Nightstalker has returned!"

"What?" Idris asked, Stormcleaver stomping happily towards Toothless.

"It's nothing," Hiccup muttered. Astrid smirked.

"I am so, so sorry," Fiske joined them with an extremely guilty face. "I'm pretty sure that was my fault. I told Trader Johann the story with the Bewilderbeast a few years back and I might, _might _have exaggerated a little bit..."

"Well, _thank you for that. _Now apparently I'm some mystical warrior of justice. Will I ever get peace?" Hiccup waved his hands in the air.

"That's not your job, _Lord Nightstalker,_" Fiske grinned impishly. "You're supposed to protect the weak."

He strode into the forge, where, for some reason, Stoick was standing.

"Nice of ya to show up for work," Gobber said. Hiccup winced.

"Sorry. Um, Dad, I have something to tell you. It's important."

"Excellent!" boomed Stoick. "Now the first thing to being a chief is-"

"Not the important you're thinking of," Hiccup added. Stoick stopped. "We found a group of Vikings today, and they weren't too happy."

"What, your Night Fury and Deadly Nadder didn't have them singing songs of joy?"

Hiccup's sarcastic tendencies had rubbed off on his father.

"No, it wasn't the traditional running for the hills routine that we all know and love. They were completely wrecked on a small island, and they said something about some Wrath of Thor or whatever. And some witch called Excellinor who's after Toothless and I and-"

Stoick blanched, then turned to the crowds.

"Raise the defences! Standard raid arrangement!"

"Wait, what?" Hiccup said in confusion.

"If Excellinor is after you then she will get you come fire and brimstone;" Stoick's voice was strained and Astrid realised that this Excellinor character must really be something nasty if she had _Stoick _running and hiding.

"But why would Excellinor want us anyway?" she asked. Stoick looked incredulous.

"Remember the stories you were told when you were young? Of the hands in the shadows that stole children? They were all based on Excellinor. It's said that she traded with the _draugra _to gain power over life and death."

"Okay, first of all that's about as likely as trolls stealing your socks," Hiccup stated. Gobber threw him a dirty look. "And second, I'm not going to run and hide if there's a crazy on my tail. In my experience of tyrannical nutjobs- which is actually pretty extensive- they aren't going to give up just because _oh look my quarry's got big dragon defences wow I wonder what I should do now, hmm…_"

"This is no joking matter, Hiccup!" Stoick looked truly frightened, and that alone was enough to strike terror into Astrid's heart. Stoick grabbed Hiccup's arm and dragged him towards the house, Hiccup protesting the whole way.

"Hiccup," Astrid said tentatively, following her exasperated fiancée, "he might have a point. You can beat people who rely on brute strength, but this witch; by the sounds of it, I really don't know if we can do it."

Hiccup didn't even get a chance to reply. Stoick wrenched open the door and practically threw him inside the house. Valka, who had been sitting half-asleep in front of the fire, jerked upright.

"What's going on?" she asked, seeing Hiccup go sprawling on the floor.

"Keep him inside, don't let him out. Same with Toothless. And her! She'll just sneak him out again,"

Stoick turned and left. Astrid darted inside just before Stoick slammed the door.

_Why am I grounded too? _she grumbled silently.

"What's he done?" Valka questioned. Astrid bent and helped Hiccup up, trying to ignore the filthy glare he cast in the direction of the door.

"There's a crazy after him. AGAIN," she answered Valka.

Toothless knocked a chair over and settled next to where Hiccup was standing. Hiccup scratched him absently.

"You really know how to get into trouble," Valka looked at Hiccup.

"Dad still doesn't get that I can take care of myself now. I'm twenty, for Odin's sake!" Hiccup looked angrily in the direction of the door.

"Who's so bad that Stoick's in a panic?" his mother wondered.

"Some witch called Excellinor, and a rogue dragon rider called the Wrath of Thor," Astrid responded. Valka paled and stood up.

"You're all staying inside. Try to go out and I'll tie you to the walls,"

"Why is everyone so darn afraid of Excellinor?" Hiccup said, looking irritated.

"She's not just a sheildmaiden, or a witch," Valka said. "Excellinor is completely without morals. Think Drago, but ten times worse. She kills for the fun of it, and she keeps her nails coated in poison. And;" Valka gulped, "she's an expert at kidnapping and blackmail. This Wrath of Thor person; Excellinor probably stole him from his home and threatened him. _No-one _works with Excellinor of their own free will. Hiccup, please believe me; _you can't win this one. _I doubt that, if the entire island came at her with swords, we'd beat her without at least half of us dying from the poison on her nails. The only person who knows the cure is Excellinor herself. _Please, _both of you, stay away from her."

Hiccup's face softened. He clearly couldn't say no to Valka.

"Alright. But I expect you to tell me the story. How do we know all this?"

"Sit down," Valka sighed. Astrid settled beside Hiccup, glad of the fire warming the freezing cold Berk air.

"It was not long after you were born, Hiccup, that Excellinor first made herself known. She was a warrior from another tribe, just like any other. She came on a trading trip to Berk, and the second morning, when Mulch went down to the boats to wake the traders; he found them all dead, except for Excellinor, who was nowhere to be found. He came back up to the village to look for her, and he found her fighting three men at once without even a dagger. Stoick was one of them; it was a miracle he didn't die. Then Gothi came out of nowhere and just cracked her staff over Excellinor's head. I have no idea how Gothi knew what was going on, but she did, and we tied Excellinor to the mast of her boat and shipped her off to the west, like we do with any Viking who's lost their mind. Then this dragon hurtled out of nowhere towards the ship. It was barely half the size of a Terror, but when it zoomed past one of our Vikings, its tail barb scratched his neck and he died within the month. It had big, heavy manacles on its legs, and it was very battered. It just flew to her and split the ropes. She kept sailing away."

"So why are we so afraid of her?" Hiccup asked.

"Because Gothi told us to watch carefully, that one day she would come back and it wouldn't be peacefully. Over the years, Excellinor has surfaced on several islands, and she snatches children, she kills people in their homes. It's every parent's worst fear; that they will return home to find that the Witch has taken their child. As far as we can tell, she does it out of spite; she has no purpose to her kidnapping. But if she really does have an aim now…"

"Gods protect us all," finished Astrid. She felt slightly sick. What kind of depraved creature would take someone's children? When she _did _have children with Hiccup, she would wait beside the cradle with a very sharp axe every night.

"So, once again, I have to hide from a feral, insane power that wants me dead?" Hiccup summed up.

"If she does want you dead, consider yourself lucky. If Excellinor has you, dead is the best state to be in."

"Wow," Astrid muttered. "That was morbid,"


	2. Beneath the Mask of Thunder

**Chapter Two**

**Beneath the Mask of Thunder**

Hiccup paced. He fed Toothless. He fed Toothless again. And again, until the dragon looked ill at even the thought of more fish. He sat for an hour obsessively flipping the gear on his prosthetic back and forth. He watched Astrid sharpen her axe. He emptied the Zippleback gas container in Inferno's pommel and clicked the button over and over again. He tapped his metal leg against the ground. He stared out the window as the sun set.

Gods, it was hilarious.

Astrid watched, faintly amused through her boredom. Hiccup did NOT handle boredom well. If she hadn't been ridiculously bored as well, she would have teased him about it. There was suddenly a scuffling noise upstairs, where Valka had gone a few minutes before, and a moment later Fiske came tumbling headfirst down the stairs, crashing to a stop with his head tucked into his chest, which was level to the ground, and his legs angled up over his head. He resembled nothing so much as a human square. For a while he wheezed for breath, clearly winded. Astrid and Hiccup were silent in shock for a moment; then both started laughing. The position was so ridiculously amusing.

"Owwww…" Fiske muttered, slowly pulling himself into a relatively normal human position and rubbing his neck. "Hola, Forsja, did you have to shove me down the stairs?"

Valka came down the stairs two at a time.

"You're the _sha gua _who tried to sneak these two out of the house," Valka said breezily.

Fiske stumbled to his feet.

"Great gods of the golden shrine, that _hurt, _Forsja!" he said crossly. Valka patted his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Next time, if you want to get stuck in a house and be babysitted, knock on the door."

She went back up the stairs, presumably to make sure that no-one else tried to sneak in the window.

"Why do you still call her Forsja?" Astrid asked.

"That's how we were introduced." Fiske answered, scratching Toothless' ear plates. "I forget what it means now; it was something like either mother or aunt. I dunno. But it's just what Snorri and I call her. All that aside though," he said, striding to the door, "what's stopping you from-"

He pulled the door open and found himself looking directly into Cloudjumper's open mouth.

"Gods of the shrine!" he yelped, jumping backwards and slamming the door.

"That's what's stopping us," Hiccup deadpanned. Fiske looked at his boots, embarrassed.

"Well then, I-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the alarm horn from outside. Toothless raised his head in alarm.

"That must be the Wrath of Thor," Hiccup said, peering out a window. Sure enough, the shape of a dragon could be seen homing in on the village.

"How in the middle kingdom did they find us so fast?" Fiske said.

"He was probably still watching when we spoke to those Vikings," Astrid cursed her own stupidity. It was a classic hunting move; attack the younger foxes, wait until the parents came to take them back to the den, follow them and kill the whole lot. "We lead him here,"

"Well then, let's get him out of here," Hiccup stood up.

"How? We're stuck here, remember?" Fiske reminded him.

"We get rid of Cloudjumper," Hiccup answered. "Any ideas?"

"I have one," Astrid said, "but it's a little barbaric."

"Spit it out," Fiske prompted.

"We sneak up behind your mother and give her a fright. When she screams or whatever, Cloudjumper will rush to see what's wrong. Ergo, clear exit."

"That really is barbaric," said Hiccup, "but right now it's the best idea we have. Fiske, you're on scaring duty. And be quiet!"

Astrid watched as Fiske tiptoed up the stairs. A moment later they heard a yelp of terror and outside the door there was a rustle of scales. Fiske came thundering back down the stairs, and Hiccup threw open the door.

"Quick! Out!" he barked. He leaped onto Toothless' back and the Night Fury surged forwards, snatching Astrid and Fiske like so many kittens. Astrid had to tuck in her feet in a hurry when Cloudjumper realised he had been tricked and hurtled back around the house, snapping where her feet had been seconds earlier. He roared in fury, and Valka exploded out of the house.

"Hiccup!" she hollered, and climbed up Cloudjumper's wing.

"Hold tight," Hiccup yelled down, and then Toothless swooped downwards. He was going so fast that Astrid had to squeeze her eyes shut.

"Gods above," Fiske yelped, clinging to Toothless' foot. "Forsja is going to murder us!"

Astrid barely heard him over the rush of air. Suddenly Toothless released them, and they dropped a foot, sprawling to the ground outside the forge. Toothless circled around and landed, and Hiccup jumped free of the saddle, prosthetic switching in mid-air. He landed far more gracefully than Astrid and Fiske had.

"I have an idea," he said, just as there was a huge crack of thunder. A bolt of lightning streaked from the maw of the dragon above; a house was torched like dry tinder. A Nadder and his rider quickly extinguished the flames.

Hiccup darted into the forge and there was a loud clanking as he swept piles of half-finished inventions out of the way. He came out again wheeling a huge wooden object. Toothless narrowed his eyes and hissed at it.

"Whoa," Fiske said, "is this the Mangler?"

"Mark two," Hiccup nodded, "the first one got crushed by a Nightmare."

And without further warning he started wheeling it at speed through the village.

They shot past Stoick, who spun around in disbelief.

"HICCUP! GET BACK INSIDE!" he bellowed, dashing to the side to avoid another bolt of lightning.

"It's…. just like the good old days," Hiccup panted. He found a hill and set down the Mangler, and then it abruptly sprang open to reveal an enormous bola sling.

"This is what you used to shoot down Toothless?" Astrid marvelled.

Hiccup winced. "Yeah… don't remind me. Toothless, fire into the air, bud,"

As the whistling permeated the air, the Skrill and its rider wheeled around and swooped towards Toothless. Hiccup gritted his teeth, waiting for a clear shot, then pulled back a lever. A bola was hurled skywards and Hiccup stumbled backwards with the force of the recoil. The Skrill dodged the bola, but the rider wasn't so lucky. The Skrill had moved so abruptly that the rider was thrown off to the side. The bola took him squarely in mid air, and he hollered in shock as he plummeted. The Skrill wheeled around in horror.

"Hel," Hiccup swore. "Toothless!"

The dragon darted forwards, moving faster than Astrid would have thought possible. He threw out a wing just as the rider would have hit the ground; rather than being killed on impact, the Skrill's rider smacked into the outstretched wing. Toothless threw the rider down and placed a huge foot on his chest. The rider gasped for breath; the moment he was capable of talking he yelled "Go!" to the Skrill, which whined but obeyed. Astrid narrowed her eyes. There was something strange about the Wrath of Thor's voice.

Snorri, Idris and Stoick all exploded onto the scene at the same time; Snorri grabbed Fiske and started yammering in the strange language. Astrid had always meant to get Hiccup to teach her but she had never gotten around to it.

"Hiccup!" raged Stoick. "What part of 'stay inside' do you not get?"

"Okay, but I hit it," he said. Astrid almost laughed; her mind gave her an image of Hiccup saying almost exactly the same thing during the last dragon raid.

Stoick seemed to realise that Toothless had a paw planted on the rider's chest for the first time. He let out a sibilant hiss of horror.

"Toothless! Get _back,_" he snarled. Toothless growled but obeyed, and the rider struggled within the bola netting. The moonlight was glinting off his right hand, like… metal?

_He has a fake hand,_ she realised. _Why is Hiccup the only person missing a limb who is friendly? Wait, no, there's Gobber. I stand corrected._

Above them, there was a roar and a burst of flame, and Cloudjumper landed in a whirl of fire. Valka jumped acrobatically to the ground, staff held out behind her.

Fiske whistled.

"Man, you just wasted an amazing entrance," he said. Valka reached out with the staff and hooked the bottom of the rider's helmet through the netting, and tugged it loose.

A chunky blonde braid poured loose from the helmet, and the rider's hate-filled green eyes were framed in long eyelashes. Astrid sucked in her breath.

The Wrath of Thor… was a _girl? _Astrid peered through the netting, getting a good look at the rider. She had yellowy-green eyes, and a round face. She was sturdily built, and her blonde hair was swept back off her forehead. She wore a dark blue-green tunic that was cut at an angle; it draped low to the ground on her left side but was cut high on the right. She was wearing a white cloak fastened with a metal buckle engraved with some sort of dragon. The cloak swept behind flat, circular shoulder guards, and she had sturdy leather straps in an X shape across her chest, as well as a belt of the same leather slung low on her hips. She had long sleeves and pants in a tawny coloured fabric, which hung shapeless from the elbow down on her right arm. She wore brown leather boots with black, spiked collars and thin tawny straps winding around them. The effect was quite startling; combined with her decidedly broad shoulders and less-than-slim physique, you could barely tell she was female.

"Put her in the cell," Stoick commanded. "And be careful!"

Snorri, Valka and Idris stepped forwards; Idris searched blindly on the ground until she found the rider, and the three of them picked her up. She struggled violently; but wrapped in the bola there wasn't much she could do.

Astrid followed them, and behind her Hiccup seized his chance and darted after her. The rider was dumped in a stone cell with a metal barred door, and Snorri stuck his hands through the bars and cut the ropes. The rider snatched at his arm and he whipped it back, cutting his knuckle on the rusty metal grate.

"Ow," he muttered, sucking on the cut. Valka stepped forwards.

"Okay. First of all, what's your name?" she asked. The rider threw her a dirty glare.

"Termagant," she said gruffly. Valka nodded.

"How did you come to get your dragon?"

"What, you mean Scorchfang?" Termagant scoffed. "He was given to me."

"How long ago?" Hiccup asked.

"What's it to you?" Termagant glared.

"He probably doesn't want to lose his bragging rights as the first dragon rider," Fiske smirked. Astrid glared at him and he immediately assumed an expression appropriate to the sickbed of a close friend.

"A year ago," said Termagant, looking slightly amused.

"Who gave him to you?" Valka asked.

"Odin," Termagant replied sarcastically. "Duh, Excellinor."

"And you have no problem selling her out like that?" asked Snorri incredulously.

"I hate her and hope she dies a painful death," Termagant shrugged. "You think I would want to associate with someone like that?"

"You could be a psychotic murderer," Fiske suggested helpfully. The woman raised an eyebrow.

"No, I'm not crazy. I'm trying to kidnap _him_-" she pointed at Hiccup, "because Excellinor has my brother."

"That's low-hanging fruit," whistled Fiske.

"Talk about it," Termagant said.

"But really, we're not okay with you kidnapping our friends," the young man continued. "I mean, if you need help, why would you not just ask?"

"Because the last people who tried to run for someone's help with an Excellinor problem were a couple whose daughter is still in Excellinor's employ today; as a slave. The parents were never seen again. I forget her name; it's Azalea or something, some flower. Excellinor has an iron grip, pardon the pun."

She waved her metal hand in the air breezily. Astrid narrowed her eyes.

"You seem strangely casual about all this," she said. "You're locked in a cell and we could kill you at any moment."

Termagant shrugged.

"Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that my dragon is about to rescue me," she said. Hiccup's eyes widened and he drew Inferno; barely a second later, so quickly that the weapon didn't even have time to ignite the Nightmare saliva, there was a huge crack and a blinding chain of lightning seemed to split reality. The lightning struck Inferno dead on in Hiccup's hand; there was an explosion of sparks and he was thrown backwards like a marionette. Astrid screamed and leaped over to him, frantically checking his heartbeat. The huge Skrill, Scorchfang, tore the gate from its hinges and threw it aside; Snorri and Fiske were knocked beneath it. There was a sickening snap and Fiske howled in pain. Valka sprang forwards to grab her but Termagant swung her arm. She must have had a concealed weapon; Valka yelped and reflexively tore back her hand, blood leaking from a large cut on her wrist. Idris looked around frantically; she had no clue which way was safe and which would get her killed.

"Over here!" Astrid hollered, her voice high pitched with panic, but Scorchfang's tail whipped around and took Idris' feet out from underneath her. She grabbed at the air and somehow managed to snag Termagant's leg; Termagant hissed and whipped her weapon at Idris' face. Idris yelped as the weapon left a bloody furrow down her left cheekbone. Scorchfang grabbed his rider and turned, hurling himself skywards. Astrid could hear shouting outside, but all she did was pull Hiccup closer and frantically listen at his chest.

_Thank the gods, _she thought woozily. It was fluttering, but his heartbeat was still there. Stoick burst into the room. Valka was trying to lift the heavy metal door off of Snorri and Fiske; Stoick lifted it in a second. His eyes focused on the unconscious Hiccup, and he barrelled over and grabbed the limp man, almost dislocating Astrid's arm in the process.

"What happened?" he asked frantically, throwing off his helmet and listening at Hiccup's chest.

"The- the lightning," stuttered Astrid. "It just curved in mid-air and hit his sword,"

The weapon in question was twisted and molten hot; the leather grip was charred beyond repair and still smouldering. The blade had taken the brunt of the lightning; it was bent crookedly to the left. The hilt was less damaged, but Astrid swore suddenly, and, trying not to burn her fingers too badly, cracked it open and pulled out the fire mechanisms before they ignited with the sheer heat of the metal.

Fiske staggered to his feet, hissing curses and holding his wrist. He was favouring his right ankle; he must have sprained it. Snorri looked dazed, and there was a long cut above his eyebrow. Idris was carefully listening to make sure she wasn't about to trip over anything.

"Sorry Idris, I would help but I think I killed my arm, and- gods above," Fiske said, limping over and dropping ungracefully to his knees beside Hiccup. Idris stumbled over and stepped on the remains of Inferno, yelping and flinching backwards. The metal burned even through her boots.

"How did he get hit? It was aimed at the ceiling," Fiske asked.

"I don't know," Astrid said breathlessly. "Someone find Gothi, I don't know if anyone's ever been hit by lightning before this."

"There was one of our warriors a few years back; he survived a blast like this. It only took a few days for him to recover." Stoick said, still holding Hiccup tight enough to pop out that ridiculous fin Astrid loved. It was hilarious whenever she punched the button.

"What in the name of the gods is _that?_" Stoick wondered, prodding the fin.

"It's nothing," Astrid fobbed him off. If he didn't know what it was then Hiccup hadn't told him. If Hiccup hadn't told him then Astrid did not intend to, so she just manoeuvred her wrist between Stoick's meaty arms and reeled the fin back in. Stoick looked suspicious but let it pass. He rose to his feet and surveyed the damage in the cell. Fiske had used his vest to pick up Inferno's warped remains, and he sighed.

"We'll need to get this fixed soon," he said.

Then Stoick stepped into the fresh air, the other young Vikings behind him. Snotlout was staring dazedly at the sky nearby; the villagers had extinguished the burning houses. Mildew was ranting in the village square; what he was doing so far away from his house, Astrid had no clue.

"We will never be safe from the dragons!" he was proclaiming. Valka growled, and hooked her staff around the man's ankle as she passed him and pulled him onto his back. Gobber came limping over. The moonlight highlighted the silvery scar that lined down one side of his face; the only sign of his final tangle with the Boneknapper that everyone had thought a myth three years ago.

"Beard of Thor," he gasped. "What happened _this _time?"

"Lightning," Stoick said.

"He doesn't make it easy, does he?"

Stoick shook his head mutely. Astrid took the liberty of punching Gobber for Hiccup.

"What was that for?" the smith grumbled.

"Well, Hiccup seemed a tad occupied, so I figured I'd punch you for him!" she said brightly. Gobber shook his head.

"Snotlout," Fiske yelled, stopping. Stoick kept stomping towards Gothi's house. "What's up with you?"

Snotlout turned slowly to look at Fiske.

"She's beautiful," he sighed dreamily.

"Holy gilded mask of the emperor," Fiske drew in a breath. "She just nearly killed Hiccup, and you're in _love with her?_"

Snotlout nodded pensively.

"There's a turn up for the books," Snorri muttered, absently scratching the cut on his finger.

"Tell me about it," Astrid agreed.


	3. The Spread

**AN: I got my first negative review for ****_Dragonheart _****today and I was kind of upset, but I see where you were coming from, Madhuntr. The end of ****_Dragonheart _****was indeed supposed to be very much like the ending of the second movie, but ****_Firesoul _****and the third installment, ****_Scalesword, _****will have unique plots. Thanks, Madhuntr!**

**If you could, readers, I'd love it if you could leave me a review on stuff you did/didn't like, ideas you have, references you get, etc. It's really motivating when you read about people appreciating your work, especially since I tend to be a little puffed-up whenever I get reviews. Not that it matters. So hey, R&R!**

**Here's chapter three, and remember, I don't own HTTYD!**

**o~0~O~0~o**

**Chapter Three**

**The Spread**

When Hiccup woke up, he took one look at Gothi standing nearby and threw off the fur blanket angrily.

"Right," he said. "I have woken up in this place once too often. What happened this time?"

"Oh, nothing, except you got struck by lightning. Nothing drastic, then," Astrid said crossly. Hiccup looked at her, placing his feet and peg delicately on the floor.

"How the Hel did I even survive that? A direct hit from lightning?" he stated in disbelief. Astrid pointed to the twisted lump of metal that had once been Inferno.

"It didn't hit you, technically, it hit Inferno," Astrid said gently. Hiccup drew in a breath.

"I spent a month making that," he said, irritated. Astrid opened the pouch at her belt and held out the canister of Nightmare saliva and the igniting mechanisms.

"I saved these," she said, holding them out. Hiccup smiled gratefully, reaching out for them.

"Well, that's _something, _at least," he said, checking them over for any damage.

Astrid decided to strike while the iron was hot.

"Well, just in case your day wasn't bad enough already, your dad has given your mother and I strict orders to accompany you on your dragon flights until next week."

"What?" Hiccup said loudly. Gothi smacked him (albeit gently) over the head with her staff.

"Ow… sorry, Gothi." he groaned. "In that case, Astrid, want to go for a flight now?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You sure you're well enough to do that? Your dad will kill me if I let you out too soon."

"I'm fine," he said passively. Astrid chose to ignore her suspicions; Toothless had already broken Gothi's door once, trying to get inside to play with Hiccup. A bored Night Fury was almost as dangerous as an angry one.

"Alright then," Astrid nodded. She gripped his arm to steady him and he stood up, leaning more on her than was probably healthy, but she let it slide. Gothi shook her head in her version of tutting but opened the door for the duo pass. Astrid waved a hand in thanks. Hiccup barely cleared the door before he found three hundred pounds of black scales on top of him.

"Leave off, Toothless!" he protested. "How many times do I have to tell you? It _doesn't wash out!_"

Astrid couldn't decide whether to giggle or wince. Having tasted the Night Fury spit once before, she couldn't understand why Hiccup didn't brush his dragon's teeth. It was revolting. Toothless finally let Hiccup get to his feet- well, foot- and he brushed as much of the spit off as possible before climbing into the saddle. Toothless pranced around happily, jolting Hiccup around madly, but somehow he still looked dignified and impressive. Maybe it had something to do with the enormous black dragon of doom.

She whistled for Stormfly, who fluttered down from Gothi's roof. The Nadder made an almost feline sound and allowed Astrid into the saddle. Astrid whistled, a long, piercing sound that echoed off the buildings, and a few moments later Valka and Cloudjumper dropped to the ground beside them.

"So soon?" the woman said. Astrid made a hopeless gesture with her hands, and then Toothless rocketed off the ground.

"Hey!" yelped Astrid, and Stormfly flew after them. Cloudjumper easily outstripped the Nadder-dang, those double sets of wings were impressive- and caught up to Hiccup. The wind blew her plait back over her shoulders, and Astrid sighed in contentment. How in Thor's name had Vikings survived for three hundred years without _this?_" It was part of their everyday life now; she couldn't imagine a life without Stormfly.

"Don't you see it, Hiccup!" yelled Valka in jubilation, standing up in the saddle. "The other villagers- they don't quite understand. _This _is what it means to be a dragon!"

Hiccup looked sideways at his mother.

"It's all well and good to call yourself a dragon," he said cheekily, "but can_ you _fly?"

And he pulled back the lever, detached his prosthetic and dropped from Toothless' back. Valka let out a tiny gasp of shock before Hiccup snapped open the wings on the flight suit. Hiccup let out a crow of joy, and Astrid whooped encouragement. Valka grinned.

"Ho, Hiccup, you're flying like Toothless!" Astrid called. Hiccup made a thumbs-up with his left hand; presumably turning his head would unbalance him. There was a small, snow-covered island up ahead; Astrid vaguely remembered dubbing it Troll's Rock.

"But how do you get back on Toothless?" she hollered.

"I don't!" he yelled back. Astrid's eyes widened as she understood.

"Gods above!" she yelped in horror. Valka narrowed her eyes.

"Hiccup!" she cried. Hiccup flipped onto his back.

"Don't worry!" he yelled, before Toothless screeched and plummeted after him. The long black wings encircled Hiccup and the two ploughed a long furrow into the snow on Troll's Rock.

Hiccup whooped in joy, extricating himself from the dark leathery folds.

"Almost, there, bud! We're getting there!"

Valka landed beside him and started laughing, examining the back fin happily.

"This is amazing! You made this yourself?" she asked. Hiccup nodded.

"Not that I was okay with it," Astrid interjected, landing her Nadder and jumping off. "He broke his wrist the second time he tried it."

Valka narrowed her eyes.

"You told me that you slipped on ice," she said crossly. Astrid's hand flew to her mouth.

"Thank you, Astrid," Hiccup groaned. "I _crash-landed _on ice. Almost the truth."

Valka started to giggle at her son's awkwardness before she stopped.

"Huh," she said. "I don't feel so good,"

It was almost childlike, the way she said it, and then she sat down heavily. Cloudjumper squawked in alarm.

"Mom?" Hiccup crouched beside her.

"I'm okay," she said weakly. "Just a little dizzy."

Astrid stooped and looked the woman in the eye.

"No," she said. "Something's not right here. Sorry, Hiccup, I'm cutting this flight short. We're taking you," she addressed Valka, "back to Berk."

She helped Valka up, Hiccup on her other side, and Cloudjumper crooned affectionately.

"Sorry, Cloudjumper," Astrid said. "I'm taking her on Stormfly."

"That's not necessary," Valka protested weakly, but Astrid ignored her and lifted her onto Stormfly. The Nadder sniffed at Valka and recoiled, squawking in alarm.

"What's wrong, girl?" Astrid stroked the Nadder, whose eyes were wide. She chirped erratically. It was like she was trying to say something. Astrid shook her head and climbed on in front of Valka.

"Let's go," she said, and the three dragons lifted off and angled towards Berk.

o~0~O~0~o

By the time they got back, Valka had stopped protesting. For obvious reasons, too; not even she could deny something was definitely wrong. She was covered in a light sheen of sweat and was having trouble staying conscious. They had barely landed before Snorri skidded to a stop in front of them.

"It's Idris!" he cried. "There's something- mask of the emperor!" He helped Astrid lift Valka off of the sky-blue Nadder. "She's got it too!"

They brought her into Gothi's house, where the elder was leaning over Idris. Gobber was standing nearby, ready to translate the writing at a moment's notice. The young woman's eyes were rolled back in her head, and she too was covered in sweat. Astrid placed the back of her hand on the blind girl's forehead.

"She has a really bad fever," she said anxiously. Her limbs were stiff and wooden, and her breathing rattly. Gothi scuttled over to Valka and gave her a once over, then started scratching runes into the dirt. Gobber read them aloud.

"She doesn't know what it is; lay her next to Idris." the smith said nervously. Astrid had barely lifted the woman before she let out a strangled groan and fell stiffly against the blonde. Astrid lay Valka on the bed, and Hiccup paced nervously. Gothi looked at them sharply, then scribbled even more. Gobber blanched as he read it.

"She says to get out. She doesn't know if it's contagious. Beard of Thor, that doesn't bode well for the village…"

Astrid dragged Hiccup out the door and he turned to her wildly.

"What could have caused it?" he asked anxiously. Astrid shook her head, and opened her mouth to say something. She never managed; Spitelout had barged up the hill and thundered past them to see his little sister.

"Spitelout, wait!" Astrid yelped, but the huge Viking took no notice. Astrid wanted to take Hiccup to his house, but he wouldn't budge. Toothless chirped miserably, and when snow started falling he lifted a wing to shelter the two Vikings.

"Go home, girl." Astrid petted Stormfly. "I'll see you there."

The Nadder cooed and flew off, and Astrid flopped beside Hiccup, who was tapping distractedly. His eyes were wide with fear, and Astrid knew exactly how he felt. Sometime later, Spitelout emerged from the house, wringing his hands.

"Will she be okay?" yelped Hiccup pleadingly. For a moment Astrid saw the gangly, awkward teen he had been; his inner childlike instincts had poked through, begging for Valka to recover.

"I don't know," the Viking said miserably, and without warning he scooped Hiccup into a bone-crushing hug, his foot-and-peg waving pointlessly in mid-air. Astrid was surprised; Spitelout had never been one for public displays of affection, not even to his precious son. Hiccup, also surprisingly, didn't protest. Both of them, although they were polar opposites, were for once on the same boat. A boat of misery and concern for Valka.

"Gods above," Astrid suddenly said. "Has anyone told _Stoick?_"

Spitelout's eyes widened.

"No, he doesn't know," he said. "We need to tell him."

He let Hiccup drop to the ground and bustled off. Astrid stared after him. He seemed so… un-Spitelout. He wasn't the tough, reckless Viking she knew; he was, for once, just a worried big brother. Astrid beckoned to Hiccup.

"We need to get you home," she said. Hiccup dully nodded, and climbed slowly into Toothless' saddle.

o~0~O~0~o

Snorri had the sickness.

Snorri, the 23-year-old dropping like he had been axed, Fiske howling in their strange language, their dragon roaring in fear. Astrid had sent the two straight to Gothi's, Fiske returning after being cleared of infection, and ordered to stay in Hiccup's house.

o~0~O~0~o

Spitelout had the sickness.

Snotlout had woken up that morning, gone to wake his father and found him almost comatose. He, like his father the day before, had let his tough image drop and hollered for help.

o~0~O~0~o

Fishlegs had the sickness.

He had been messing around with Meatlug when he suddenly started teetering dangerously and leaning on the Gronckle's side, and the Book of Dragons slipped from his grip. Astrid had to fend off Snotlout and the twins, who were trying to get close; Hiccup took the stout man to the healer's hut, eyes wide. The sickness was spreading fast.

o~0~O~0~o

Astrid's hand traced the last letter and she set down the charcoal. She sighed, eyes running over the list. It was a list of the people who had gotten sick; if someone had come into contact with them they were to go to Gothi immediately.

_Tuffnut, his sister screaming hysterically as Astrid held her back from running to her unconscious twin._

_Hookfang and Meatlug; Hiccup panicking as he realised his precious dragons could catch the disease, and insisting that dragons no longer be used in moving the sick._

_Bucket, his fishing rod falling into the deep and his boat drifting aimlessly until Fiske found him._

_Gothi herself, forcing herself to eat her own herbs, fighting to stay conscious to help the sick, but eventually dropping her staff and falling soundlessly alongside her patients._

_Toffa, alone, unnoticed until her house caught fire. She had been by the fireside, and the cloak she was stitching lit her house like a bonfire. It was a miracle that Snotlout raced into the blaze and managed to pull her stiff form from the house._

Astrid's hand shivered. Some people were proclaiming it to be a curse from the gods; by capturing the Wrath of Thor they had angered them into cursing the village. Hiccup was more or less elevated to his father's second-in-command; with Spitelout out of action, Hiccup was the only other man in the village who had been taught the rules of chiefdom. He had been racing around the village; it had become the practice to paint a big black cross on the doors of the people who had become sick. He had established the symptoms, too; early warning signs were sore throats, headaches and fits of unnecessary anger, then came nausea, severe disorientation, sores and a coma-like unconsciousness.

Hiccup came home exhausted; Astrid had been confined to his house after Phlegma had fallen ill. Stoick hadn't wanted to take the risk.

"My gods," he groaned, sitting down. "_This _is why I don't want to be chief."

"What's going wrong now?" she asked, sitting beside him.

"There are more sick Vikings than healthy ones!" he said hysterically. "If this keeps up there won't _be _a village to be chief of!"

Astrid sucked in her breath. "Don't say that!" she begged. She couldn't bear the prospect of Berk fighting their way through so much, surviving each time, only to fall to sickness.

"Gods, Astrid… this sickness is taking over the whole village! Ever since Idris and my mother got sick…"

He stopped, a look of dawning comprehension coming over his face.

"Astrid…" he began. "The first people to get sick… before they started getting sick… where was the last place they were all together?"

Astrid's eyes widened.

"The cell room!" she blurted. "With Termagant!"

"And what happened, _exactly, _to Idris, Snorri and my mother after I got hit by the lightning?"

"Um…" she thought. Then it hit her. "They all got injured!"

"But Fiske did too," he pointed out, "and so did I,"

"But your wounds, and Fiske's, neither of them drew blood. All three of the others got cuts, and you were even still conscious for Snorri's!"

"Which can only mean one thing," he finished. "This whole thing was caused by _Termagant!_"

"We need to find your dad!" Astrid said breathlessly. "If she caused the disease, it stands to reason that she can cure it!"

"It's our only option," Hiccup agreed, and stood up, all trace of his exhaustion vanished. He threw open the door and leaped into Toothless' saddle. Astrid called Stormfly and the Nadder didn't even land before Astrid sprang into her own saddle. Astrid veered off to the forge, retrieving the helmet that Termagant had worn to let Stormfly sniff. She fell back in beside Hiccup, holding it up, and he nodded in understanding.

"Dad!" Hiccup yelled when he found his father. Stoick looked older than ever; his eyes looked defeated. Astrid swallowed nervously as Hiccup reeled off their plan. Stoick listened carefully.

"I don't like you going off on your own…" he started, "but it might be our only option. And I… I don't think I should come with you."

"What? Why not?" Astrid asked. Hiccup looked confused.

"Because…" Stoick said, swallowing, "I think I helped Hoark with a problem yesterday, and I just found out he had the sickness."

Hiccup blanched.

"Gods. Dad, we'll be as fast as we can; we'll come back with the cure, just please, don't give up!" he begged. Stoick nodded weakly.

"Go, now, before you get it too," the chief said. Hiccup nodded anxiously and Toothless took off, followed by Stormfly. The two pairs of wings, dappled yellow and pitch black, carved the air into arching shapes as they followed the scent of the Wrath of Thor.


	4. No Flame Hotter

**AN: This came a lot faster than I expected it to. I hated writing it. I really, truly hated it. I was sobbing writing it, and my grandmother was trying to figure out how ****_The Fiddler on the Roof _****was making tough-as-nails (when it comes to showing emotion) me cry. No, it was this chapter, and I am so, so sorry, my readers.**

**o~0~O~0~o**

**Chapter Four**

**No Flame Hotter**

"There it is!" Astrid pointed. Below them, there was a towering fort. Hiccup sucked in his breath.

"It's huge!" he marvelled. It truly was enormous; it was the size of the whole village! Hiccup suddenly bent low on Toothless' back, squinting below them.

"What's-" he began, then swore loudly. "Look out!"

Toothless screeched in alarm and swerved madly, but Stormfly was too slow; Astrid let out a cry of fear as she found herself wrapped tight to Stormfly's back by a huge bola.

"Astrid!" yelled Hiccup, and Toothless swooped low. He grabbed the net, but he couldn't hold up Stormfly's weight, and the only thing he succeeded in doing was slowing their fall. They still hit the ground at an impressive speed; there was a sickening snap and Astrid let out a howl of pain. Her right ankle was twisted savagely to the side, and Hiccup scrambled out from under Toothless, groaning and switching the gear on his prosthetic. Astrid, woozy with pain, pieced together what must have happened. Toothless must have grabbed the bola and tried to lift it, but the only thing he did was slow it a bit. The net hit the ground and Toothless had fallen backwards on top of Hiccup.

"Astrid!" Hiccup said, stumbling over. He drew the knife from the straps on his bracers and cut the bola, lifting her to her feet. She hissed in pain and fell over again as she tried to put weight on her broken ankle. It was like a hot spear was being stabbed up her leg all the way to her hip.

"Thor almighty," Hiccup swore, noticing the ankle. Toothless rolled to his feet and clawed apart the rest of the netting holding Stormfly. The Nadder moaned and stood up, several of her tail spines broken in half and one wing hanging at an odd angle. Hiccup rummaged in his armour, pulling out a green plant.

"Here… he said soothingly. "Eat this, Astrid. It should help with the pain."

She obediently ate it. After a while, she thought she could feel the edge been taken off the pain in her ankle. Hiccup took a scan of their surroundings, and checked Stormfly's wing.

"They're sure to have seen us, but Stormfly can't fly in this condition, she's twisted her wing. It should heal, but we have to hide, and soon. I'm not leaving her behind anyway."

Astrid lifted her head.

"Is there anything we can use as a splint?" she asked, relieved that the pain seemed to be washing away from her ankle.

_You had to break, didn't you, _she thought crossly.

Hiccup looked at the bola.

"We have rope, but there's nothing in the way of a length of wood,"

"My axe," she said reluctantly. Hiccup looked at her sharply.

"That's your favourite axe," he said. "Are you sure?"

"You can always make me another one, babe," she smiled weakly. Hiccup nodded, pulling the axe off her saddle and unscrewing the head.

"Coming right up, milady," he said, lifting the head and tying it back onto Astrid's saddle. He unwound the leather straps that made up the grips and stowed them in his armour, and pulled the carved stone from the end. Pausing to snatch up the ropes, he knelt beside Astrid.

"You've done this before?" Astrid asked, gasping as he moved her foot.

"Sorry," he winced. "And yes; Idris fell off a small glacier once and Mom taught me how to splint her leg."

He measured out the length of wood, then drew his knife and sawed through the handle. He tied the ropes securely around the wood and Astrid's leg; he sat back with a sigh.

"There we go," he said. "It's not perfect, but it will do."

He helped Astrid to her feet, and she winced, but it was more bearable now.

"Thanks," she gasped. Hiccup lifted the rest of the axe handle and held it out.

"Use it to balance yourself," he suggested, and Astrid took it gratefully. She leaned on the length and groaned.

"This got off to a great start," she said as Hiccup climbed on to Toothless' back.

"Do you think you can ride? We're grounded, but we can still run."

Astrid limped over to Stormfly and petted the dragon. She cooed softly, and Astrid looked at the wing.

"I'm going to tie it to her body," Astrid said, picking up some of the tattered remains of the bola. Stormfly crooned as Astrid looped the ropes around the broad scaly chest. Once it was tied on, Astrid hauled herself into the saddle, wincing as her ankle thumped into Stormfly's side.

"Alright, which way do you want to go?" he said. Astrid looked around the barren plain to see a group of Vikings racing towards them.

"How about _not that way_?" she suggested. Hiccup nodded.

"Sounds good to me," he laughed a little madly, and turned around. Toothless started running, every now and then beating his wings for a little lift. Hiccup clung on for dear life; the Night Fury clearly was more concerned with keeping the man alive than keeping him intact. Stormfly barrelled after the scaly black tail: Astrid yelped as her ankle jolted with the dragon's motion.

"Hiccup!" she hollered, "where are we actually going?"

"No idea! Away from them!" he called back. Astrid suddenly spun; there was the sound of wingbeats above them. She barely had time to glimpse the gray-blue scales of a dragon before she felt claws around her arms and she was torn from her saddle. She screamed in fear and pain as her ankle caught on the saddle, and Hiccup wheeled around. Toothless leaped skywards, and Stormfly howled in horror, skidding sideways and racing below Astrid. The woman struggled in the claws of the dragon holding her.

"Stop! You left my dragon back there, she can't fly, she'll be killed!" she cried to the dragon, and got the shock of her life when a human voice responded.

"They won't kill her," it said, and Astrid snarled in recognition.

"Termagant! Put me _down_!" she yelled. Behind her, Hiccup was drawing in close; and Astrid tried to yell frantically at him but the wind whipped away her words. Termagant and Scorchfang started flying faster; a Skrill was the only dragon that could go toe-to-toe with a Night Fury. They swooped lower, closer to the huge fort, the empty space of ground in the centre of the fort only feet away, and then Astrid was dropped to the ground. She cried out as she landed hard on her ankle; Toothless skidded to a halt behind them and Hiccup sprang from the saddle, stumbling awkwardly; in his haste he had forgotten to change the gear on his prosthetic. He bent and switched it into walking gear, cursing, then helped Astrid to her feet. Termagant slid from her saddle; she had acquired a new helmet, and was clothed entirely in her dragon rider's gear.

"I'm so sorry," she said guiltily, and then someone else entered the ground. Hiccup swore in the strange language. The figure that had entered the yard was tall and unhealthily thin. It was, Astrid supposed, a female, although her bald head suggested otherwise. She had unusually long fingernails that were a sick greenish colour, and she snapped them twice.

Out of Toothless' saddlebag came a small yellow dragon, and Toothless jumped a foot in the air in fear, recoiling from the dragon like it was an eel. Hiccup went pale.

"Of course," he muttered furiously. "It wasn't a disease at all! It was _poison!_"

The dragon's tail ended in a sharp barb stained the same sick greenish colour as the… woman's… nails.

"Here they are, Excellinor," said Termagant with a filthy glare at the witch.

"Good," she said, "but I'm busy right now. Get Eret to dump them in the cells."

Termagant nodded stiffly.

"Follow me," she said.

"And why would we do that? We could just escape on-"

There was a panicked roar behind them, and Hiccup spun, almost knocking Astrid over. Astrid turned around to see the Vikings that had been chasing them clamping heavy iron manacles on a thrashing Toothless. Stormfly was being dragged by a heavy chain attached to the thick muzzle clamping her jaws shut. She let out a muffled cry and Astrid's heart melted.

"Stormfly!" she cried. At the same time, Hiccup yelled "Toothless!"

The two dragons were dragged along. Hiccup made to run after them but suddenly found a jagged sword at his throat.

"I wouldn't do that," Termagant said seriously. Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"Toothless!" he yelled again, and the dragon let out a muffled roar in response. Hiccup turned around and shot Termagant a look of disgust. The woman let her sword drop and she looked at her feet.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "She won't hurt them, I know,"

"She better not," Hiccup said darkly.

"Well, I suppose… um… ERET!" she hollered. Another man came out into the courtyard.

"What does she want this time?" he asked.

"Say hello to him," Termagant whispered to Astrid, then addressed Eret. "She wants these two taken to the cells."

"Huh," he said, eyes focusing on Hiccup. "I don't know whether to thank you or curse you," he said.

"What?" Hiccup responded.

"You killed Drago, which made _me _a free man, but two days later Excellinor found me with that Skrill. Ergo, slave to the witch."

She shoved Hiccup forwards, and Astrid limped after them. Eret said no more after that, leading them down dark hallways until they reached a dimly lit room with cages lining the walls. Some of the cages were filled with half-conscious dragons, and the one directly across from her was filled with dragons so small they could only be babies. Eret opened a door, looking almost bored, and shoved Hiccup in, then grabbed Astrid's arm and yanked her into the cell. Astrid yelped in pain as she jarred her injured leg. The door slammed shut and Eret stalked away.

"Hello," said a little voice in the cell. Astrid wheeled around. There was a small boy sitting in the corner. He had an overlarge horned helmet on, curving horns tipped with metal. He was wearing a dirty light-green tunic, and a dark brown, patched leather vest. His small feet were almost swallowed by his furry boots. A shock of blonde hair issued from the helmet.

"Who are you?" the little boy said again.

"My name's Hiccup," Hiccup said, staring at the Timberjack sprawled in the next cell. "Gods above," he said. "It's Bladewing,"

"Who?" Astrid said in confusion.

"Bladewing, Sonja's dragon!" Hiccup answered, poking his hands through the bars. The Timberjack lifted its elongated snout and peered at them with dull eyes.

"She likes you," said the little boy.

"Who are you?" Astrid asked him. The boy looked at her with big yellow-green eyes.

"My name's Eelnose," he said.

"Termagant's brother," Astrid said in comprehension.

"Have you seen her?" he said, suddenly hopeful. "Is she okay?"

"Yes," Astrid reassured him. "She said hello."

Hiccup withdrew his hand and sat beside them.

"We have to do something," he said.

"What can _you_ do?" Eelnose said doubtfully. "You're barely wider than I am,"

"Hey," Astrid interjected. "You're too young to be a cynic,"

"Yeah," Hiccup added, "that's my job. Anyway, I'll come up with something."

His eyes glittered and Astrid sighed. This was a pretty spectacular mess.

"You have green eyes," Eelnose said suddenly.

"And?" Hiccup asked.

"And you have a skull painted on your shoulder,"

"Here we go," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Wow! I didn't expect you to be so small!" Eelnose looked him over. "Where's your fire sword?"

"A little broken, thanks to your sister," Hiccup said crossly. "She hit the thing with lightning."

"And put Hiccup out for a week," Astrid interjected.

"Termi wouldn't do that," Eelnose protested.

"Wait," Hiccup suddenly said. "Astrid, you may have saved our lives,"

He pulled out the Nightmare saliva, the Zippleback gas and the lighting mechanism.

"Awesome, I did something right," Astrid said.

"What're they?" Eelnose asked.

"They make fire," he said. Eelnose raised an eyebrow.

"But Daydream can do that," he said, clicking his fingers. In the cage beside them, a Terror lifted its head and scampered over, poking its face through the bars. Eelnose scratched it.

"Huh," Hiccup said. "Are all these dragons tamed?"

"'Tamed' is the wrong word," Eelnose said. "The witch has complete control over them. I just made friends with Daydream."

"Good job anyhow," Hiccup said, "but these make Zippleback fire, which blows up. Which could be very, very helpful. I have an idea,"

He told them all and Eelnose paled while Astrid nodded in determination.

"You're going to get us killed!" Eelnose said. "The witch will kill us all!"

"It's this or my entire island dies," Hiccup responded sharply. "Now or never."

He stood up, balancing delicately on one foot and hopping to the gate, and beckoned Eelnose to the door. The boy clenched his fists before yelling up the corridor.

"Guard! Guard! Help me, they're going to hurt me! Help!"

Eret came thundering down the corridor and the moment he came too close to the door he got a good wallop over the head with Hiccup's prosthetic. He stepped backwards rubbing his head and snarling in anger.

"That wasn't as effective as I thought it would be," Hiccup said, and Eelnose stuck a skinny arm through the grate and smacked the man with his helmet. Eret dropped to the floor.

"You're even more useless than I am," Eelnose said in astonishment. Hiccup made a face and stuck out his tongue. He leaned against the door and latched his prosthetic back on.

"I hate taking that thing off," he muttered. Eelnose tilted his head.

"Why? Does it hurt?" he asked.

"Why don't you ask Termagant that?" Hiccup grumbled. "That's a really personal question."

Astrid stood shakily on her broken ankle. She hated being so useless. Hiccup frowned in sympathy.

"I know the feeling," he said, offering his shoulder to lean on. Eelnose bent and used the curved horns on his helmet to pull the keys out of Eret's limp hand. He held them up triumphantly, before trying each one in the door. On his fourth try, he got the right one, and the door clicked open. He instantly darted to the next cell, and this time he found the right key on his second try. He pulled open the gate and his Terror, Daydream, hurtled out, licking his face happily. Hiccup cautiously reached out to Bladewing, who crooned softly before using her titanic wings to lift herself up. She shuffled awkwardly out of the cell.

"She's… she's still wearing the saddle and everything," Hiccup choked. "Gods, Bladewing, I'm so sorry."

"Hiccup," Astrid said tentatively. "Why is it your fault Sonja died?"

Hiccup's eyes darkened. "She was my sword-sister. I was supposed to protect her, and I didn't."

"It wasn't your fault, Hiccup," Astrid soothed. She had no clue whether it was or not, but they couldn't afford to get distracted. He looked up.

"Even if it was," he said, sounding suddenly focused, "now is not the time to dwell on it. We need to find Toothless and Stormfly, and Termagant if we can. Then we need to find out the cure for the poison."

"Alright," Astrid said. Hiccup climbed onto Bladewing's back.

"Man, it feels weird without the stirrup," he said, helping Astrid and Eelnose up. Eelnose sat very awkwardly in front of Astrid.

"This is not right," he muttered anxiously.

"It's okay," Astrid said. "You won't fall."

"Hold on," Hiccup told them, and knocked Bladewing's sides with his ankle and his prosthetic. She slithered, snakelike, up the hallways, almost completely silent, and when they found the open air she used her tail to propel herself skywards. Eelnose yelped and clung tight to Hiccup's back, Daydream draped over his shoulders. Hiccup screeched his Night Fury cry and listened carefully, homing in on Toothless' response. They found another set of dragon cages, dismounting, to see Stormfly, Toothless and…

"Skullcrusher?" Hiccup said in astonishment.

"Well done," said a voice behind them. Hiccup whirled on Toothless' back.

Excellinor was striding towards them.

"I knew you would escape, but not this fast." she rasped. Astrid snarled and narrowed her eyes, fingers itching. She stood protectively in front of a trembling Eelnose.

_Gods, I wish I had my darn axe, _she thought furiously.

"Now," said Excellinor. "Either you make your dragon Alpha obey me or I'll kill your father."

"What?" Hiccup yelped. Excellinor beckoned and Stoick was shoved out of the shadows.

"Watch it, you!" he snarled, and spotted Hiccup. "Hiccup! It's not a disease, it's poison! Everyone has sting marks!"

"We know," Hiccup said stiffly. "Excellinor, this is low hanging fruit, even for you."

"Do it or else," she hissed sibilantly, a manic grin on her face. Hiccup swallowed and stepped towards Toothless' cage. The Night Fury crooned through his muzzle, and Hiccup looked at Excellinor.

"It's locked," he said. She threw him a gleaming key and he fumbled and caught it. He slid it into the lock and released Toothless, pulling off the muzzle.

"It's okay, bud…" he said tightly. Astrid could almost see the conflict; condemn Toothless to Excellinor's control, or let his father die?

His eyes set. Astrid knew what he had decided. He could always rescue Toothless, but death was final.

"Sorry, bud… I'm sorry. _Don't hurt the witch_."

He said it firmly, but Toothless tilted his head in confusion. He looked at Excellinor, whose eyes lit up.

"Don't hurt her. Listen to her."

Toothless whined, and took a step backwards. Hiccup took a deep breath and led Toothless over to the witch, taking her hand and placing it on Toothless' snout. The dragon whimpered and Hiccup seemed to choke up.

"Hiccup… what are you doing?" Stoick said softly. Excellinor laughed maniacally.

"Good, good," she said, and started muttering to Toothless quietly. The dragon took a step back, seeming confused. Excellinor started talking louder, in a strange voice.

"_Listen to me. Obey me, and me only," _

It was so suggestive that for a moment Astrid had the crazy notion of surrendering to the witch. Then she realised.

"Hiccup, get away," she warned. She had no clue what Excellinor was doing, but it reminded her forcibly of the trouble with the Alpha three years ago. Toothless wouldn't know what in Hel he was doing.

The dragon lowered his head obediently.

"Good," Excellinor clapped her hands. "Now _kill him_."

She pointed at Hiccup, who took a step back and raised his hands. Astrid shook her head to clear it; the sheer suggestiveness had, for a second, made her want to attack Hiccup as well.

_She really is a witch, _Astrid thought, starting to panic.

"Whoa, wait up, this wasn't part of the bargain," Hiccup protested. Toothless turned to look at him with dull eyes. He started advancing menacingly, like a cat stalking a bird, and Hiccup backed away.

"Hiccup!" yelped Astrid and Stoick together.

"Bud, don't listen… block it out.. you've done it before…"

Toothless opened his mouth and Astrid heard the whistling. Eelnose let out a cry of terror and Astrid's maternal instinct kicked in; she wrapped her arms around him and swung him away, crouching low to protect him; at the same time, a piercing terror filled her heart for Hiccup. She heard thunderous footfalls and a blast of flame, felt the wave of searing heat that washed over her, heard Eelnose screaming and Hiccup letting out a strangled grunt, and all was silent. She dropped the small boy and spun back around, her broken ankle grating painfully. Her heart clenched and she focused on the form sprawled in front of a panting Toothless.

Form**_s_**.

Stoick was utterly still, and Hiccup fought his way out from underneath his father. Astrid dropped painfully to her knees and stared into the eyes of her chief, who saw no more.


	5. Savage Seas

**AN: You're going to hate me after this chapter. But come on; it's chapter five, did you really think I would end it there? Hello, evil crazy dragon lady here! Nice? HA! But seriously; please don't hate me. I thought it worked really well, and it incorporated an idea that one of my ****_Dragonheart _****reviewers gave me. They'll know who they are next chapter when they read it... if they even ARE reading this... I kinda hope they are...**

** And surprise surprise, I don't own HTTYD. I ****_never _****would have guessed, this being a Fanfiction archive and all...**

**o~0~O~0~o**

**Chapter Five**

**Savage Seas**

"Dad!" howled Hiccup, his eyes filled with horror. Eelnose was openly crying; Excellinor smiled cruelly.

"Not what I asked for, but it will do."

Toothless blinked; for a second he seemed himself and he crooned in confusion.

"Get away!" snarled Hiccup suddenly. "Go on, get out of here!"

The dragon whimpered before Excellinor snapped her fingers and his pupils unfocused again.

Astrid stumbled to Hiccup and Stoick, dropping to her knees, and checked Stoick's pulse. It was just as she had dreaded; nothing at all.

"Oh, Hiccup…" she sighed, her eyes filling with tears. Excellinor climbed onto Toothless' back and swooped away, but Astrid barely noticed, even as Skullcrusher followed and Stormfly managed to snap the ropes holding her twisted wing and flew clumsily after the Night Fury and Rumblehorn. Bladewing followed as well, and even Daydream left Eelnose to follow.

Astrid could do nothing but hold Hiccup as, for the first time in all her life, she saw him cry.

Termagant appeared, and she wasn't in her rider's clothing; she had left the leather straps, the cape, the shoulder guards and the boots. Instead a fluffy fur hood crowned her shoulders, a series of worn leather bands wrapped loosely around her midriff and fluffy boots clad her feet. She dropped beside Eelnose and wrapped her left arm around her brother, crouching down and whispering to him.

A girl also came, tailing Termagant. She had plaited black hair and exotic blue eyes.

"My gods," she said. "What happened?"

"Heather, don't," Eelnose sobbed. Astrid felt a tear trace her own cheek as she held Hiccup's shaking shoulders. Everything had gone so, so wrong.

o~0~O~0~o

"May the Valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battle field. May they sing your name with love and fury so that we may hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you have taken your rightful place at the table of kings. For a great man has fallen, a warrior, a chieftain, a father, a friend."

It turned out that Stoick hadn't been alone; Gobber, Ruffnut, Fiske and Snotlout had accompanied him with their dragons and all were shell-shocked. Gobber handed Hiccup a bow and an arrow, lit from Inferno's fire mechanisms. Astrid, Heather, Termagant, Gobber, Ruffnut, Fiske, Snotlout and even Eret were also holding bows. Eret, Heather and Termagant, on realising what had happened, had all turned their coats. Killing Stoick was far below the belt, they thought.

Hiccup lifted his bow and let the flaming arrow fly; it landed squarely on the mast of the boat. They had held no regrets using one of Excellinor's boats for the funeral. Astrid lifted her bow and the others followed suit; the arrows arched high as one and peppered the boat, setting it alight. Hiccup turned towards them.

"I…" Hiccup stammered, tears tracing his face. "I was always so afraid of becoming my father. Mostly because I thought I _couldn't. _ How- how do you become someone that- that _brave, _that _selfless_? I guess you… you just have to try."

Ruffnut was unusually quiet; Fiske's eyes were watery.

"What are we going to do, Hiccup?" Snotlout asked quietly.

"We have to go back to Berk," he said.

"How?" Ruffnut asked. "Excellinor took all the dragons,"

"Not all of them," he said, drying his eyes. He turned and started running, and Astrid followed.

He stopped in the cells where they had been held. The doors were all flung open, but in the back cage there were still scaly forms sleeping.

"Scuttleclaws," Hiccup said. "They can take us; it will take a while, because they're not the fastest fliers and they're still babies, but it's faster than boats."

"Are there enough?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup counted.

"Eelnose, you might have to share; you're the lightest and the smallest."

"I'll take him," Heather said. "I'm the second lightest,"

No-one argued, and Hiccup woke the baby Scuttleclaws. Ten minutes later, they were all swooping into the icy sky, Heather clinging on for dear life and hollering swear words every time her dragon jolted. Eret was less spooked, but even he let out a few choice words every now and then.

"What's the plan, Hiccup?" Gobber yelled.

"Get back to Berk, rescue Toothless and kick Excellinor's-"

The wind whipped away the next word; probably for the best. The baby Scuttleclaws flew erratically, zigzagging all over the place. At one point Ruffnut threw up; Astrid couldn't blame her. The flight was jolting her broken leg about like mad, and she swore every time a particularly violent lurch grated the bones together. The sea beneath them was churning, and savage winds buffeted the desperate riders. When Berk came into sight, after a good five hours of the most testing flight Astrid had ever experienced, Hiccup narrowed his eyes. The villagers were all hemmed into a tight square by Excellinor's men; even the sick were being held up by their relatives and friends. Excellinor was atop Toothless, and Hiccup growled angrily.

"Get your filthy paws off my dragon," he snarled to no-one. As they drew closer, they dropped low, slipping into the Berk harbour unseen.

"Okay. We're going to split up. Hide behind the houses. Astrid, you take Inferno's fire mechanisms and when I signal you, spray the gas everywhere and light it. I need to get to Toothless."

Astrid nodded, catching the canisters as Hiccup threw them, and they landed and sneaked carefully between two stone pillars, one by one.

And one by one each of them were knocked over the head with a very large hammer. Easy as blinking.

o~0~O~0~o

Astrid opened her aching eyes. The sunlight hurt.

"Astrid?" said a raspy voice. She focused; she was being held up by her aunt Phlegma. The woman seemed to have recovered from the dragon poison, although there were several half-healed sores marring her face. There were angry voices yelling obscenities all around them.

"What happened?" she groaned.

Phlegma pointed hopelessly to the harbour. Astrid peered close with her sore eyes. There was one boat with a black sail on it, and Astrid narrowed her eyes. Tied to the mast was-

"Oh my gods," Astrid gasped. Hiccup was still unconscious, limp in the ropes. Toothless had since regained his mind; Excellinor had him chained to the Mead Hall, and the dragon was roaring furiously and struggling against the chains.

Excellinor smiled, a thin shape on the docks, and with a knife she slashed the rope mooring the boat. She pushed it with an immense strength, more than Astrid would have thought possible, and it drifted out of the harbour.

"That's murder!" Snotlout was roaring, one arm twisted painfully behind his back by one of Excellinor's Vikings and with an ugly lump on the side of his head. "The Winter Winds are blowing! He'll be killed!"

"You have no right to banish him!" screamed Valka, her voice still rough from the illness, held in a tight grip by another of Excellinor's Vikings. Excellinor strode up the docks, looking very satisfied.

"Your chief is dead, and as of now no new chief has been chosen. He is no more than a common Viking; I have every right to banish him. And the Winter Winds are not my problem. What happens after his banishment is his responsibility.

Astrid gathered her breath and yelled the rudest insult she knew, and added a few good old-fashioned curses at the end.

"Rot with the _draugra _you troll-faced, snake-tongued, poisonous little worm!" she screamed in fury. She couldn't help but see Hiccup's little boat drift aimlessly past the statues marking Berk waters; the sails started picking up. She felt a stab of helplessness; she had never felt so weak in all her life. She suddenly spotted something; on the ground, someone's abandoned knife. She got her toe under it, flipped it into the air, grabbed it and hurled it at the witch.

And the witch caught it.

"Now why would you do that?" the witch said silkily. "Astrid, my dear, that's no way to treat your new chief."

Without even stopping to ask herself how the witch had known who had thrown it, she elbowed her way through the crowd, heedless of the pain jabbing up her leg. The herb must have been wearing off; it grated painfully and she bit back a yelp.

"You're not our chief," she snarled at Excellinor. She had never been so furious in all her life. Behind her, the crowd took up the shouting again, screaming insults and derogatory comments.

"Aren't I?" Excellinor leered, and beckoned to one of her Vikings off to the side. Astrid jumped as a shape was thrown to the ground beside Excellinor; Gothi, bound in ropes and with rattly breathing, her helmet rolling across the ground.

"Gothi!" Astrid yelped, and bent down to help the elder up. Unable to voice her hatred, the healer gave Excellinor the most hate-filled glare that Astrid had seen in her life.

"Now, am I the only candidate for chief?" Excellinor asked the crowd silkily. Astrid turned, and her eyes bored into Snotlout. With Hiccup gone, Snotlout was the next-of-kin for the leadership line. She hated the prospect; Snotlout was a terrible leader. But surely Hiccup would take the leadership back the moment he returned… _if he survived. _Astrid glanced at the place where the boat had been; it was almost completely obscured by the churning sea spray. Toothless let out a ghastly noise; a combination of roar, scream and wail that sliced through Astrid's heart, voicing her pain.

Snotlout's eyes were wide with fear, but he stepped forwards, stiff but formal.

"I challenge you for the leadership, in Hiccup's name," he said boldly. Excellinor looked at him and laughed.

"Do you really want to do that?" she asked, grabbing Astrid and giving her a violent wrench. Astrid yelped when she found the witch's claw-like nails at her throat.

Snotlout's fists clenched, but he stood tall.

"So, the death of Astrid doesn't faze you… what about your dragon? Your father? Your _crush, _Ruffnut?"

Snotlout hissed in horror. He gritted his teeth and Astrid knew. He wouldn't be the cause of _anyone's _death. And she couldn't ask him to. Snotlout dropped his head and fell back in with the crowd.

"Good. Now, there are going to be a few changes around here…"

o~0~O~0~o

ONE WEEK LATER

Astrid muttered angrily, dragging the cart towards what had been Hiccup's house. As if killing the chief and banishing the heir hadn't been insult enough; she had taken their house. And she had turned the cove into a place of punishment, huge cages for both people and dragons. The once-tranquil sanctuary filled with the pained roars of dragons. She dumped the cart and knocked on the door.

"Here," she snarled, and turned before the witch could open the door. She stalked back down the hill, muttering darkly.

"Astrid," said a voice. She turned.

"Toffa?" she said in disbelief. The seamstress' eyes were shadowed and her face lined, but she beckoned Astrid into her house. Eelnose, who Toffa had taken in, was sleeping fitfully in a corner.

The seamstress' face had by now healed from the sores brought by the dragon poison. Excellinor had given the villagers the antidote, but it was no act of kindness. If anyone protested against her rule too violently, they were poisoned again. So far no-one had died, but it was only a matter of time.

"What is it?" Astrid asked. Toffa held out her palm. Two metal objects were sitting on her palm. A metal cuff was the first; carved on it was the familiar sight of the horned skull that adorned Toothless' tail-fin and Hiccup's shoulder guards. The second object was the reforged Inferno, complete with the fire mechanisms. Astrid had given the fire mechanisms to Gobber, who, using the blueprints in Hiccup's back room, had remade the sword. As always, the smith hadn't been able to resist sprucing up the appearance; he had welded on a flat version of the skull symbol at the guard, and a rounded one at the pommel. The leather grip was in three different colours; black, brown and dark red, the same colours as Hiccup's armour.

"Tonight." Toffa interrupted her thoughts. "Skollr comes tonight; everyone will be distracted scaring him off. We're going to cause even more chaos, we're wearing the symbol and staging a rebellion. You'll need to free Termagant from the cove-"

"What? Why's she locked up?" Astrid asked.

"She tried to kill the witch's dragon, to stop her using the poison as punishment. She was seen. Toothless is caged there; I think your dragon and Termagant's might be there as well. And Gobber made this for you."

She picked up another metal shape and offered it to Astrid. It was an oddly shaped piece of metal with leather straps trailing from it.

"It fastens to your boot. It'll allow you to use Toothless' stirrup."

"Thanks," she said.

"Go, before one of the guards sees you. Take this to Snotlout's house as your excuse."

She lifted a fur shoulder drape like the one Snotlout already wore, but the metal buckle was shaped like Hiccup's symbol rather than a dragon. Astrid nodded and limped out of the house. Her ankle had started healing, but Gothi was greatly concerned that it might not set straight and had made her a proper splint. She made her way to Snotlout's house. The man had lived in turmoil for the last week, guilty for not standing up to Excellinor. No amount of comforting had made him feel better.

"What are you doing?" barked a voice. She turned. One of Excellinor's Vikings, patrolling the village, was striding towards her. She lifted the fur package, making sure to cover the buckle with her hand.

"I have to deliver this to the Jorgenson house," she said. The guard narrowed his eyes but let her past. She knocked on the door, and Spitelout answered.

"Tonight," she said simply, handing him the shoulder throw. The man's jaw set and he nodded. Astrid went to find Heather and Eret. They would be the most help, having served under Excellinor for how many years. Heather was more or less Excellinor's personal slave; she could pass off her request as coming from Excellinor herself. Eret was an experienced seaman and tracker; he would be the most able to track the path Hiccup's boat had taken, knowing the ways of the Winter Winds.

_Isn't it strange, _Astrid thought, _that the people I'm trusting were Excellinor's people? It all comes full circle._


	6. The Sheildmaiden's Revolution

**Chapter Six**

**The Shieldmaiden's Revolution**

The sky was a dark blue, and the villagers were all on edge. As soon as Skollr took his first bite out of the moon Excellinor's soldiers started clashing their weapons and shields. The villagers of Berk suddenly erupted from their houses; each was adorned with a polished silver version of Hiccup's symbol; they had painted it on their shields and armour. Berkians loved to show off, and most of them weren't that bright; it was better if it was blatantly obvious which side you were fighting for.

"For Hiccup!" Spitelout roared, and chaos ensued. Astrid ducked through the village, an axe in her hand, and checking the pouch at her belt for the stirrup piece. She ducked swinging swords and whirling maces. She saw Snorri screaming a battle cry and impaling one of Excellinor's men with an arrow, and shouted "Good shot!" to the man. Toffa was slashing like a dervish, fighting fiercely and not even getting a single scrape. Fiske was causing chaos all on his own; armed only with two knives he was fighting three men with swords and TALKING CONSTANTLY.

"It's a nice night, isn't it," he said chattily, winking as Astrid hurtled past. Gothi had given her the strongest herbs she had for her ankle earlier that day; she couldn't afford to have the broken limb troubling her tonight. She raced through the woods and was soon joined by Heather and Eret. Heather had a slash through her patched tunic. Astrid skidded to a stop and gestured Heather forward. The young woman ran out into the cove and the two guards started.

"What's wrong?" one asked.

"They're rebelling!" she blurted. "Excellinor wants you up there now!"

"Are you sure that's what she said?" the second asked. "You know how she gets."

"Well, what she _actually _said was _if they don't get up here right now I will personally remove their backbones with my fingernails._"

This had the ring of truth to it. The two Vikings nodded and started running towards the passage, where Eret and Astrid were waiting with a rock in hand. They dragged the two out into the cove.

"Fate has a sense of humour," Heather noted. "This one was the one who brained Hiccup."

"He deserves it then," Astrid muttered. Heather took the keys from the second Viking's vest and released Termagant.

"Thank the gods," the woman said. Heather unlocked the dragon cages and Termagant and Astrid threw themselves at their dragons as one. Astrid scratched the Nadder happily, and the dragon cooed joyfully.

"I'm sorry, girl," she said. "I have to ride Toothless. Eret's riding you,"

She beckoned the man over and helped him into the saddle.

"Take good care of her," she said quietly. Eret puffed out his chest.

"Ain't a dragon alive I can't wrangle," he said proudly. Termagant had already climbed onto Scorchfang and was helping Heather in behind her. Astrid sat and strapped the mechanism Gobber had made onto her boot, then crossed to Toothless.

The Night Fury's eyes were dull and he was moaning sadly. Astrid could see it in his eyes.

_Guilt. An overwhelming guilt, for killing Stoick and abandoning Hiccup. _

_Misery. His other half was missing, might even be dead, and there had been nothing Toothless could do about it._

_Anger. The woman who had done this; she would die beneath his claws and roast in his fire._

"It's okay," Astrid said, climbing on his back and carefully clicking on the stirrup. "We're going to find him."

Toothless wearily climbed to his feet, dragging them as he moved out of the cage. He spread his wings.

"Ready?" Astrid yelled. Termagant and Eret nodded. "Okay, Toothless, let's go find Hiccup!"

o~0~O~0~o

"I'm almost certain that this is where he would have washed up! And your dragon thinks so too!" Eret yelled.

"Are you sure?" Astrid shrieked over the wind. Stormfly _had _made mistakes before. Eret made a thumbs-up sign and Astrid twisted her foot to switch the pedal. Toothless angled downwards, and as they drew closer Astrid could see a tangle of wood on a sandy beach. They landed hard and Toothless sneezed sparks as the sand flew everywhere. Stormfly landed behind them, and then Scorchfang a moment later.

"HICCUP!" yelled Astrid. Her voice echoed off the stones, but there was no response. "_HICCUP_!" she yelled again.

"Are you talking about me?" a voice behind them said. Toothless wheeled around and leaped forwards so violently that the straps tying on the boot mechanism snapped, and Astrid yelped as she was thrown off backwards. She sat up to see Toothless madly licking a struggling shape.

"Hiccup!" she sang happily, stumbling over in the sand to drop beside him. Then she realised something. Hiccup wasn't play-fighting.

He was truly, honestly trying to escape Toothless.  
>"Don't let him hurt me, please!" he yelped in fear.<p>

"What?" Astrid said. She turned to the others, and each of them had faces pale with fear.

"Oh my gods," Termagant said softly. "What's wrong with him?"

"Toothless, back," Astrid said in panic. The Night Fury whined and let Hiccup go, and the young man scrambled backwards away from the dragon.

"What do you want?" he asked frantically, his prosthetic getting stuck in the sand as he tried to stand.

"Hiccup, please, tell me you're not serious…" she begged.

"I _do _have a name!" Hiccup said happily. "I knew it- oh gods, don't hurt me!" Toothless had pounced joyfully on him again and started licking again.

"Oh no… please tell me you're messing around." Astrid drew in her breath.

"I don't think he is… look!" Heather pointed. Hiccup was struggling frantically away from his dragon; Toothless was whining in confusion.

"She's right," Termagant said. "The kind of bond he has with his Night Fury, there's no way he could fake that."

"Stop! Keep it away from me!" Hiccup said fearfully, giving Toothless a good kick with his prosthetic. Toothless yelped in surprise and stepped back. The look in his eyes clearly said _What's wrong with Hiccup? Why won't he play?_

Astrid felt her eyes filling with tears. "Oh gods…" she said, choking back the tears. She wiped her eyes and cautiously approached Hiccup, who had finally managed to stand up and was backing away. "Hiccup, it's alright, he won't hurt you. This is your best friend in the entire world, Toothless."

"Why's he trying to eat me then?" Hiccup said, his green eyes wide with fear and confusion.

"He's not." Astrid protested. "Ohhh… gods, there's no other thing for it. Hiccup, sit down."

Hiccup started to say something, but Astrid, overwhelmed with the stress, shoved him over. He landed squarely on his backside in the sand.

_Ooh, sorry, _Astrid thought, sitting in front of him.

"What I'm telling you is all true, okay?" she said quietly. She was definitely crying now; the salty wind made the tear running down her face feel cold.

"Um… okay…" Hiccup said slowly, clearly unsure. Astrid reached forwards and pulled his map book out of his armour, and Hiccup tilted his head.

"I never knew that was there…" he said in surprise.

Astrid unfolded the map and pointed to Berk, in the middle of the map.

"This is Berk. It's twelve days north of hopeless and a few degrees south of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery…"

Hiccup listened quietly, and Toothless plucked up the courage to sit beside his rider. Hiccup flinched, but didn't flee, which was a good sign. Above them, Skollr reluctantly let the moon out of his mouth, and it made its slow arc across the sky.

"…and then you said _Well, thank you for that, Idris, _and took off your mask. The whole crowd was really surprised, and you just grinned at them."

"What, like this?" he asked, giving her his sarcastic smile.

"Yeah," Astrid said, her heart clenching. It was _painful,_ seeing Hiccup not know Toothless, or his friends… not know _her. _"You went back to your house with your dad, and showed him that your mother was still alive. I don't know exactly what happened; I left you in privacy. But later on you all came back to the feast and it was hectic. I ended up drunk," she smiled at the memory, "and you had to carry me back to my house."

Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed more and more as Astrid went on. The sun had started peeking over the horizon when she reached the part about Stoick dying; she started crying uncontrollably and Hiccup looked utterly lost.

"So… you're saying my dad is _dead_? How could I forget something like that?" he asked loudly. Eret, who had listened silently to the story, answered.

"Do you have a knock on the head or something?" he asked. Hiccup's had flew to the side of his head.

"Yeah," he said slowly.

"That's what would have caused it. Maybe when Excellinor's men hit you with that hammer. I've seen it happen before. But she's telling the truth."

Hiccup shook his head in confusion.

"It sounds familiar, but more like a story I heard once, it's just not clicking. I mean, I _want _to believe you, it seems like a good life to have led, but I can't help wondering, what if it's not mine? What if you're lying to me? I mean, I'm going to get _married to you? _Do- do you grasp how insane that sounds?"

"Hey, could be worse," Termagant said. "You could have ended up with this Ruffnut girl. She sounds like a nutjob."

"Tell me about it," Eret whistled. Astrid shot them a glare.

"Hiccup… you _have _to believe us. As we speak, Excellinor could be doing anything to the villagers. We have to help them, and you're the only one who can do that. _Please._"

Hiccup paused.

"I… I can try. But… is it right? You're telling me that I'm the heir to an island that I _know nothing about_. I could do more harm than good. Maybe Snotlout or whatever his name is would be better."

"Now I know you're kidding," Astrid said, but she wasn't smiling. "If he became chief I would emigrate."

Hiccup looked down, then looked at the whining Night Fury beside him.

"So, you're my best friend, boy?"

"_Bud_!" cried Astrid suddenly. "It's not _boy_, it's _bud_! Please, Hiccup, you have to remember!"

Hiccup looked at her.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying! But I just can't! It feels like… like I'm trying to grab a cloud in my hand, but it just vanishes every time I think I've got it."

"Cloud," Astrid said softly. She knew what he meant. When she had first flown, she had tried to grab cloud herself, waving her arms in the sky-"

She stood up suddenly, wincing as her ankle grated painfully. She had an idea. She grabbed Hiccup's hand and pulled him to his feet.

"Hop on," she said, climbing onto Toothless' saddle and tied the broken straps over her boot. Hiccup hesitated.

"But-"

Astrid grabbed his arm and dragged him up the Night Fury's side. Hiccup protested as she dropped him on the saddle.

"Sit. Now." she commanded. He sat nervously behind Astrid.

"Now, Toothless," Astrid said, smirking, "up, _gently_,"

_Is it wrong that I'm going to enjoy this? _she wondered. Toothless twisted his head to look at her and gave her his gummy smile before he swept his broad wings down and shot upwards. Hiccup yelped in terror, grabbing Astrid frantically to stay on.

"Toothless!" said Astrid, faking annoyance. "I said _gently_! TOOTHLESS!"

His response? He started spinning crazily, just like he had three years ago.

_Fate really does have a great sense of humour, _she smirked to herself. Hiccup let out another terrified yelp, then he gasped and his fingers tightened painfully around Astrid's stomach.

"Wait…" he said, and Astrid almost whooped in joy.

"And now, the spinning. Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile," she cried, but she was almost singing in joy. He was remembering! She felt him pull himself up straighter in the saddle.

"Ugh… you…Toothless…flying…" he groaned. Astrid threw her hands in the air, and Toothless slowed to a soft glide.

"THANK YOU!" she yelled to the skies. Then she turned to Hiccup. "You're remembering, right?"

"Not… not much," he said slowly. Her heart sank slightly, but she was elated he knew anything at all. "You couldn't fly a dragon… so you got on with me… and Toothless went wild… and _my gods,_" he suddenly blushed. "I had the crush of a lifetime… on _you…_"

"It was mutual," she muttered shyly. Astrid looked down. He was only remembering a tiny bit, but even a tiny bit was better than nothing.

"Right," she said, unbuckling the straps. "Catch me or I die,"

And she jumped out of the saddle.


	7. Fire, Poison or Blade

**Chapter Seven**

**Fire, Poison or Blade**

There was split silence for a second, and Astrid wondered crazily what would happen if he didn't catch her. The wind buffeted her crazily and she squinted her eyes shut. Above the raging torrent, she heard the familiar sound of the prosthetic locking into place, and then she felt a jolt as her leg- luckily her left one- was grabbed between Toothless' claws.

"You're insane!" yelled Hiccup, angling back to the beach. He was flying awkwardly, having to pause to figure out each of the gears, but he was managing it, which was amazing!

Termagant, Eret and Heather said basically the same thing. Toothless flipped her the right way up and dropped her neatly on her feet, then landed. Hiccup climbed slowly off of Toothless. He placed his arms on either side of the black dragon's head and looked solemnly into his great emerald eyes.

"I don't remember much at all," he told the dragon quietly, "but I remember you. Oh, bud, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Toothless looked miserable, almost as if to say _You're not supposed to be the one begging for forgiveness._ But he crooned softly, and Hiccup let his face touch that of his dragon. He closed his eyes and remained like that for a moment before straightening.

"You said… you said that my village was in danger. We have to help them, even if I can't remember them."

"We need to get back to Berk, right away," Astrid said.

"No," Termagant suddenly interrupted. Astrid stared at her.

"Termagant, the gods only know what Excellinor is-"

"Astrid, she has more Vikings than the village alone can handle. I'm not going in unprepared."

"But where would we find help?" she asked helplessly. Hiccup pointed to the far side of the island.

"If we can persuade them not to kill us, there's a village over that way. They kept driving me off whenever I came near."

"Let's go with 'not killing us'," Astrid responded. "We'd better fly over there. And here,"

She handed him the reforged Inferno. Hiccup took it, confused, and looked it over.

"What does this do?" he asked, looking it over. "The style seems… familiar, but where's the blade?"

Astrid took it back and depressed the button. Hiccup flinched as it flared to life, and groaned suddenly.

"Ohhh… the island of Falfarra… midnight…"

"Yes?" Astrid prompted, extinguishing the sword and demonstrating the Zippleback gas function. He looked at her as she let out a tiny puff of gas and lit it.

"I remember a little… sneaking in and making this. But it looks different, I think,"

"Gobber, your mentor, reforged it. It got damaged really badly." she handed the weapon back. He lit it, as if to test it was working, and Termagant let out a drawn-out 'Oh' of comprehension.

"So THAT'S what that story's going on about," she said. Astrid groaned and dug in Hiccup's saddlebags, handing him his new flying mask. The new model was a lot less intimidating than his old one, and Astrid helped him strap it on.

"What story?" Hiccup asked, climbing into the saddle.

"Don't ask," Astrid limped over to Stormfly and scratched her horns before climbing on, Eret following her up. She saw the dragon rustler shoot Hiccup a furtively guilty look before he placed his hands on her shoulders and held on. The three dragons winged their way over the rocky island, and Astrid was delighted to see a huge rocky spire covered in dragons. At one point Hiccup suddenly opened the tailfin to its widest extent and pulled his prosthetic out of the stirrup.

"Don't you dare!" Astrid yelled, but Hiccup shrugged impishly.

"I _think_ I know how to use it," he yelled and slid sideways out of the saddle. Astrid rolled her eyes and cursed, then angled into a dive after him and Toothless. Scorchfang followed.

"What is he doing?" yelped Eret.

"You'll see," Astrid smirked. "I just hope he remembers how to use it properly."

When Hiccup was around twenty feet from the ground, he snapped open the wings on his flight suit.

"What in the name of Thor?" Heather yelled. Hiccup circled gracefully, angled lower, and the villagers below started pointing and shrieking, waving around weapons.

"If you get impaled you're cleaning up your own blood!" Termagant yelled down to him. Hiccup turned his head and accidentally went into a barrel roll. He righted himself quickly and Astrid groaned in comprehension.

_That's why he can't do anything but a thumbs-up when he's flying. _Astrid wondered. Hiccup reached the ground and, for once, managed to land on his feet. Toothless, Stormfly and Scorchfang landed squarely around him, and for a good minute people gabbled anxiously and pointed at them. Then a Viking shoved his way through the crowd.

"Nightstalker!" the man said happily.

"Night-a _what what_?" Hiccup said, bewildered.

"No way," Astrid drew in a breath. It was one of the Vikings they had seen wrecked that morning, when Hiccup had skipped the dragon race. The man stopped and let out a startled yelp. He had seen Termagant.

"Why would you bring _him _here?" he asked, terrified. Astrid rolled her eyes. So, they were timid as lambs AND they weren't too good on genders. She wasn't even wearing her helmet!

"I beg your pardon," Termagant said crossly, "I'm a woman."

"Okay, calm down, Termagant," Astrid said. "You too… er…"

"Egbert," the man answered.

"Okay, Egbert," Astrid said. "Our village, on the island of Berk, has been taken over by the witch Excellinor."

The villagers, as one, made their ward against evil sign over their chests. Astrid restrained herself from rolling her eyes.

"We need to take the village back, but we can't do it alone. We needed to ask if you would fight alongside the Nightstalker and earn yourselves a place in his legends,"

She threw in the meaningless embellishments for no particular reason, but the villagers' faces lit up at the mention of the word 'Nightstalker'. They started chattering in agreement, and Egbert's eyes shone.

"You offer us this opportunity, Sheildmaiden," he said formally, "and we are honoured to accept it. But we are a fair while from your village; how will we get there soon enough?"

Astrid turned to the rocky dragon's nest angling over the island.

"Two foes, one spear," she said. "Want to get rid of your dragon problem?"

o~0~O~0~o

Egbert was ecstatic at the thought of riding dragons like the great Nightstalker himself, and began organising his men immediately. Astrid stopped paying attention after a while. She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Termagant.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Um," Termagant said nervously. "This is probably a bad time… but, on your island… who was the young man with the curly-horned helmet?"

Astrid almost choked.

"_What_?"

Termagant blushed.

"It's stupid, I know… but…"

"Oh, my sweet most blessed Freya," Astrid said, a short laugh punctuating the end. "You're in love with Snotlout."

"Hey!" Termagant protested. "I didn't say that!"

"You may as well have," Astrid laughed. Termagant glared at her.

"Don't tell him! He'll probably hate me for trying to kidnap Hiccup," she said miserably.

"Thank you for reminding me," Astrid said, and punched her.

"Ow!"

"That's for getting my fiancée struck by lightning!"

"What?" Termagant said. "It was aimed at the ceiling,"

"Huh," Astrid said thoughtfully. "That's what Fiske said. Anyway, don't worry about it now," Then Astrid giggled. "Snotlout's just as love-struck as you are."

"Really?" Termagant asked, and Astrid laughed even harder at the hopeful look on her face. Eret and Heather were giving them strange looks now, and Hiccup came over to them.

"Uh… I hope you don't expect _me _to tame all these dragons…" he said nervously. Astrid looked at him incredulously.

"Yes," she said. "Like this,"

She demonstrated the hand-out dragon taming posture that had become Hiccup's signature pose. He raised his eyebrows.

"And I still have all my fingers?" he said in disbelief, looking his hands over.

"Why- why are you so worried about this? You INVENTED dragon taming! You- you're the first Viking in three hundred years to walk side-by-side with dragons, and you're _afraid? _Hiccup, this isn't you!"

He looked at her, and maybe it was her imagination, but his green eyes seemed different; darker, with more of a Snotlout-ish gleam, a wolf stare that said _however bad you think you are, I'm worse. _

"Whoever I was," he said, "I'm not that person anymore."

It hit Astrid like a fist to the stomach.

There had been a man once, on Berk. He had been acting like he was two people; one minute he'd be a raging fury, the next a peaceful farmer. He'd been shipped off, of course, but now it made sense to Astrid. The man really _was _split into two. And Hiccup was the same way, but the Hiccup she knew and loved- that they _all _loved- was practically comatose. This man who was walking around; he looked like Hiccup, he sounded like Hiccup, but no matter how hard she tried, Astrid couldn't fool herself into believing it really was Hiccup. He was a total stranger.

And that hurt worse than any fire, poison or blade.


	8. Come Flame Or Ragnarok

**Chapter Eight**

**Come Flame or Ragnarok**

Eret was muttering nervously, old sailor's tales. Above the bizarre parade, storm clouds were gathering like hungry vultures, ready to snatch the carrion of the battlefield.

Astrid, not for the first time, cursed her imagination. When they found a way into the huge nest- structural failure much- Astrid raised her fist and the villagers stopped, elbowing each other in excitement. Hiccup looked vaguely nauseous, Toothless nudging at his elbow. The Night Fury seemed gratified that Hiccup knew who he was, but the fact remained that Toothless didn't know _Hiccup. _Astrid made a low sound, combination of anger and misery, as Hiccup looked at her. His vibrant green eyes were so painfully familiar, but they held none of the emotions _her _Hiccup had felt. When he looked at Toothless his eyes had grinned happily, when he set gaze on Astrid his eyes had filled with contentment, affection and awe. Now all she saw was a blank look of acknowledgement.

"What do I do?" he asked. Astrid choked up a bit and cleared her throat hurriedly.

"We'll go in through here. I'll come with you."

"I… I don't think I can do this," Hiccup said nervously. Astrid looked at him.

"You're the first dragon trainer; some even call you the dragon master. You _can _do this. You need to trust yourself."

She led the man in, and a roll of thunder boomed overhead, Thor striking his shield with his hammer. From the great vent at the top of the nest- an extinct volcano?- a flash of lightning came, sparks flying off of Mjolnir, turning everything flat and white for a moment. Hiccup flinched violently.

"I don't like lightning," he said. "Why don't I like lightning?"

"You got struck by lightning, remember?" Astrid reminded him gently. He shook his head and pressed his fingers to his temples.

"I can't do this!" he groaned, sounding like he was in physical pain. "It's too much! I… I can _feel _the memories! It's like they're trying to come back themselves!"

"Let them," Astrid said loudly, grabbing Hiccup's shoulders. "Don't fight them! You need to remember who you are!"

He looked at her and, for the first time in her life, she saw true anger in his eyes.

"Do you even understand? I- as I am right now- am a _person. _I have my own identity. You're saying to just let it go and become someone I don't even know and- for all I know- have _never _known! Why is this so important to you?"

Astrid lost it then. She started crying. It was all too much.

"Because I _love _you, Hiccup! But… this way you are now, this isn't Hiccup! This isn't you! Whoever you are now, you were made this way by Excellinor. You have a family, friends, an entire village, and they want Hiccup, not whoever you are now,"

He glared at her.

"If you really loved me you wouldn't care what I was like."

Astrid flinched, stung.

"I… I didn't fall in love with you because of the way you look, or the way you tame dragons," she began tearfully. Hiccup somehow managed to scowl and sneer at the same time.

"I find that hard to believe," he sneered. Astrid looked at him miserably.

"I'd had a crush on you since I was ten. I… I never cared about what other people said. It was a useful guide to my outer image, and I used their opinions to tell me how I was progressing, but what I loved about you was how, even after you became almost dependant on people telling you how much of a stuff-up you were, you would always make the right choice. You were… that trait was the one I always shot for, but it was the only one I could never reach. You _care_, Hiccup. You always have, and I know you always will."

She suddenly fumbled at her wrist, undoing the golden thread that wrapped around it and pulling it out from under her furry bracer.

"This was a symbol that a certain Viking gave to me once. She told me that we both had a great future ahead of us. But Fate is fickle, Hiccup. She's watching, and whatever you do _right now,"_ she prodded his chest twice to accentuate- "could take out all of Berk. You're the chief; whether or not you want to, you have a duty to help your people or die trying."

Hiccup looked at her.

"Thawfest," he said. "When I was eighteen. I almost won but I… _I threw the race? _The tie-breaker… I slammed Toothless' tailfin shut to lose on purpose. Why… why would I do that?"

Astrid wiped her eyes and smiled happily. He was remembering even more!

"Because Snotlout was _afraid. _For the first time in his life he was about to lose his social standing in front of his dad. And losing to you, even if you were a hero of Berk? His dad would never have forgiven him."

"What kind of a messed-up relationship is that?" he said in disbelief. "Snotlout's whole worth in his dad's eyes was based on stupid Thawfest? That's not love,"

"Hiccup," Astrid said gently. "There's a large difference between liking and loving. As in, when you were younger, your dad _loved _you, but he didn't… um, he didn't particularly _like _you. That all changed; he loves- loved _and_ liked you. He thought you were the best son anyone could have. But Spitelout… he liked his son, but the love was a bit lacking. Maybe you could teach him how to love."

Hiccup regarded her strangely.

"You are an odd person, Astrid," he said. "Let's train some dragons. I think I'm starting to remember my own lessons."

They trod carefully through the rocky ground. It was lumpy and some of it looked like crystal. At one point Hiccup bent to look at a particular rock.

"Wow," he said. "This is weird,"

Astrid gave him a light shove. "Keep moving, dragon boy," she said. He scowled and kept moving. Astrid didn't like the scowl. Hiccup never scowled. When they found their first dragon he jumped about a foot in the air in fright. The Gronckle tipped its head and warbled questioningly. Hiccup nervously started talking.

"Hey there," he said softly. "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't eat me right now…"

The Gronckle snapped crossly, placing its reddish-hued paws in front of it, but didn't attack.

"Okay…" Hiccup muttered to himself. "Dragons… dragons… what do they like… I think I scratch Toothless under the chin…"

He took a step forward and Astrid yelped, "Thor almighty, don't do that!"

The Gronckle grumbled at the noise and Hiccup froze.

"Why…?" he asked slowly.

"The lumps on its face will explode, they hate it," she told him. He scowled.

"Gods, why did I agree to this?" he groans.

_This Hiccup is such a defeatist, _Astrid thought miserably before punching him in the arm.

"Let me show you," she said, and cautiously approached the Gronckle, bending and scooping up a rock. Hiccup tilted his head and mock-bowed, allowing her to pass. She held out her hand and made soothing noises, offering the Gronckle the rock. The dragon scrutinised her before crunching the rock right out of her hand. She held out her hand and the Gronckle allowed the symbolic touch.

"What do you want to call…" she ducked to look under the Gronckle's stomach, "him?"

Hiccup stared.

"Why… why does "Meatlug" sound familiar?" he asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Because that's Fishlegs' Gronckle. And that one's a 'she'. This one's male,"

"Okay… how about Stonetail?"

"Sounds good to me," Astrid nodded.


	9. The King's Final Gift

**Chapter Nine**

**The King's Final Gift**

It took far too long for them to tame enough dragons.

Hiccup probably could have managed it in half an hour, tops, but he kept mixing up his training techniques; he tried to tame a Nightmare by smoothing down its tail and he tried to befriend a Zippleback by wrestling its horns to the ground. Neither worked, and Astrid had to intervene both times to prevent his fiery demise. But eventually, Astrid figured out that if they tamed the reigning leader then all would follow. It wasn't hard; right in the middle of the nest a truly enormous Typhoomerang was peering at the intruders in its domain. Astrid cursed herself for not bringing any eels, but when she asked it turned out that Hiccup had one in his pocket- why, she wasn't quite sure. The gods were smiling on them. She fed it to the titan-winged Typhoomerang and slowly Hiccup managed to get the alpha to allow him on its back.

And now they were flying over open ocean, heading for Berk. Toothless was sticking his tongue out happily, the long, slimy pink object lolling about in the wind and his rider back in his rightful place,.

Egbert, atop the Typhoomerang, was yelling, alternating between fear and delight. Most of his men behind him were doing exactly the same. Eret was atop a bucking khaki Nightmare, swearing furiously every time it tried to pitch him off.

Hiccup's head suddenly snapped left, and his eyes fixed on something sticking out of the ocean not too far away. It was like the biggest iceberg Astrid had ever seen, enormous spikes of hardened water protruding like the fangs of a Frost Giant.

"The Dragon's Den," Hiccup said suddenly, and then Toothless veered off towards it.

"Hiccup!" Astrid yelled, exasperated. "Keep flying! We'll catch up!" she yelled to Eret and Termagant, who nodded. Astrid streaked after the Night Fury, Stormfly's wings a dappled blur as she flew. They had to dodge with split-second warning; Hiccup was weaving through a twisting tunnel of ice. They emerged into a huge cavern. The walls on three sides were ivy-draped stone, and enormous stalactites and stalagmites and other rock formations stuck out. At the bottom of the cavern was a huge lake of bubbling water. Hiccup slowly dove towards it, looking balefully at a certain spot. He dismounted on a relatively flat-topped, short stalagmite, not too far from the ledges that were worn with footsteps.

"This is where he sat," Hiccup said sadly. "The King, the Snowy Bewilderbeast. But he's dead now."

Astrid dismounted beside him, toes curling in her boots for grip.

"Don't worry," she said soothingly. "You avenged him. You beat Drago and his Bewilderbeast."

"The… the Muddy One. That's Drago's. I wish… I wish I could have befriended him. There are so few Bewilderbeasts left in the wild. But… but the Muddy Bewilderbeast was insane. He'd been tortured since hatching. It's… it's horrible."

And then Hiccup suddenly peered into the steam.

"That's funny," he said. "I don't remember that boulder being there,"

He picked his way across the small stalagmites, at one point scalding a flailing hand in the water. There was a huge boulder, a pale gray and lumpy, and it was taller than Hiccup. The man looked diminutive beside it.

"This definitely wasn't here when I lived here," he said conclusively. He put his hands on the boulder. "It's warm,"

"No," Astrid corrected, placing her hands on the boulder too. "It's getting hotter by the second. Maybe it's the hot-spring water?"

"Yeah," he said, looking unconvinced, closing his eyes for a moment before they shot open again. "Snoggletog! Three years ago!"

Astrid understood immediately.

Hiccup, Valka and the two brothers had been away, supposedly finding where the dragon breeding grounds were, and Astrid had found a whole nest of eggs from Fishlegs' Gronckle, Meatlug. What she _hadn't _realised was that dragon eggs hatch rather… explosively. She had gotten a pretty good idea of how Hiccup must have felt after every botched dragon raid, when there was an awful lot of destruction with him at its centre.

"Get back!" she yelped, picking a path over the tiny stalagmite-like protrusions. Barely in time; there was an ear-splitting _crack_, like the skies themselves had split in half, and fragments of two-inch-thick egg shot in every direction, shattering like granite when they struck the stone spires around them. Some landed in the water, and huge ripples half her height emanated from the places where they landed. Thick, gritty dust rolled everywhere, and Astrid held her breath as long as she could, trying not to breathe it in.

_What kind of dragon lays an egg that big? _she wondered feverishly. Finally caving and sucking in a huge breath of dusty air, she waved away the dust as best she could and carefully navigated her way back towards where the egg had sat. There was a huge piece of shell like a bridge across one part, and she dragged Hiccup across it. There was a large shape in the rapidly clearing dust, and Toothless and Stormfly suddenly whined in surprise. A chilly gust of air whipped over the group, blowing away the last of the dust.

It was a _Bewilderbeast. _A _baby_ Bewilderbeast. Astrid didn't know what this Snowy had looked like, but this baby had mostly white scales, far lighter than the one Drago had brought to Berk, and its short tusks curved differently. The crowning coral-like plates around its head, rather than turning the reddish tones of the Muddy Bewilderbeast, were a light, tawny brown, reminiscent of the leather bracers around her forearms. Its wings and fins- gods, it had a lot of fins- were a very pale, barely perceptible periwinkle blue. Its broad forehead was just as heavy-boned as the Muddy Bewilderbeast, but the stretch of its chin tapered down to a point, like a strange, scaly, lumpy beard, white tinted with tawny brown. Its eyes were a chilling greenish blue.

"Sweet Freya," she whispered. What were the chances? This egg had hatched precisely in time for Hiccup to see it? Or had it hatched _because _they were here? Did it sense Toothless, as the Alpha, nearby, and answer the deeply bred call of the hierarchy?

"It's a Bewilderbeast," Hiccup marvelled. "A new one,"

He placed a hand over his breastbone and bowed deeply, a reverent look on his face. Astrid followed a step behind. Toothless, about half the size of the Bewilderbeast, strutted forward, letting his blue plasma-lit markings show. The look on his reptilian face was screaming 'I am your Alpha, Bewilderbeast. Though you are strong, I am your leader'.

Hiccup straightened and moved closer to the Bewilderbeast, which regarded him with icy eyes.

"Hey there…" he said slowly, moving towards it. It tilted its head, and a small piece of its rock-like shell fell from its head and landed in the water, a enormous, almost comical _plop _echoing.

Hiccup moved slowly forwards, extending his hands soothingly. The Bewilderbeast stretched its stubby neck forwards, pointed its nose towards Hiccup's hands, closed its great eyes, then swung its head and smacked its tusk into the side of Hiccup's head with a comical _thunk._

"Hiccup!" yelped Astrid, grabbing his wrist as he crumpled to stop him sliding into the water. The Bewilderbeast made a crooning noise; a _wroot-whooo_ that sounded like it was saying _so-rry _to her.

"Why would you do that?" she demanded. Toothless seemed remarkably calm, for a dragon whose owner had just been assaulted by a two-foot length of bone. She stuck her hands into the mess of auburn on Hiccup's head, not for the first time wondering why he insisted on resembling Gobber's beat-up old broom. Already a purple lump had formed, and she glared at the Bewilderbeast.

"Amazingly rare dragon or not, if you've hurt him I will cut off your tusks and stick them-"

Stormfly interrupted with a scandalised screech. The noise seemed to rouse the unconscious man in her arms, and he groaned. Without thinking Astrid stuck a cupped hand in the bubbling hot water below them, swearing loudly as she jerked backwards, nearly toppling off of the spire of rock.

"Mmmm…" Hiccup murmured, blinking lethargically. Then; "Astrid?"

"Yeah, this idiot dragon bonked you on the head," she told him, sighing in relief. He looked at her.

"Oh gods. _Astrid!_" he yelped suddenly, throwing his arms around her.

"Are you okay?" she asked uncomfortably.

"Oh Thor I'm so sorry about… that other guy, I have no clue where on Midgard he came from! Oh, Astrid, I'm sorry! I was being such an-"

Astrid's eyes widened. _Was it true? _She had to check.

"Wait… what kind of dragon did your mother sew you when you were a kid? You nearly killed yourself saving it at Breakneck Bog three years ago,"

He tilted his head.

"It was a Nadder," he said. "I nicknamed it Spiky,"

"Imaginative," Astrid said seriously, then burst into laughter. "Odin's ghost, Hiccup, you gave me the worst fright! I thought I really had lost you this time!"

"I seem to be doing that a lot," he observed dryly. Astrid wiped her eyes, then turned to the Bewilderbeast.

"Thank you," she said, sounding distinctly waterlogged. The dragon tilted its head almost smugly. "Huh, it has an attitude,"

Hiccup got shakily to his feet- foot, to be technical- and approached the Bewilderbeast.

"Aren't you handsome," he said, running a hand along its relatively short tusks. The dragon looked flattered. "What should I call you? Your sire was called the Snowy Bewilderbeast… so that can't be your name."

"How about the Stormy Bewilderbeast?" Astrid suggested. Its head frill looked like an explosion of pure-white sparks, like the blast of lightning striking metal. How did she know this? _Hiccup. _As usual.

"What about that, huh?" Hiccup asked the dragon. It made a purring noise. "I think he likes it."

"Yeah, well, it's a mouthful," Astrid snorted. She still felt light-headed over Hiccup's miraculous return. But she couldn't shake the feeling that 'that other guy' was entirely gone. That wolf stare was still lurking behind Hiccup's eyes; as if waiting for the right moment to strike. She brushed aside her thoughts and hopped towards Hiccup.

"We need to get back to Berk, Hiccup," she prompted. He staggered like someone had put an arrow through his chest.

"Oh, Thor almighty," he whispered. "Dad…"

"Hiccup," Astrid took his hand in both of hers. "You know what he'd want. I don't need to remind you. It's been more than a week, Hiccup." She mock bowed. "Your men await."

Hiccup straightened, mouth set in a resolute line. He looked at the Stormy Bewilderbeast.

"Great One," he said. These dragons apparently liked flattery. "You are young, but you are strong. Will you accompany us to Berk, to help free my people?"

The dragon crooned. Astrid blinked. It understood Norse? Dragons were smarter than they were given credit for.

"What help can a baby dragon do?" she asked.

"Think about it! They blow ice, Astrid!" Hiccup looked at her like she'd announced she wanted to have a swim in the boiling water.

"But it's a newborn!"

"I'm thinking they're like Changewings. Even newly hatched dragons spit acid. He can help, Astrid."

She went along with it. Hiccup's dragon knowledge was far superior to hers; he had lived with them for three years, his mother for many more.


	10. Water Turns to Bone

**AN: Thank you to my readers for sending me in your suggestions! I have decided that the name I will use will be Magnhild, pronounced MAH-hilt. Because it ticks me off when people pronounce my character names wrong. I was talking with Wildmadcat the other day and she pronounced Idris 'Eye-dirs'. Tell me honestly, how many of you spent twenty chapters of this saga thinking that was how it was said? It's pronunced Id-ris, Id as in idiot. I'm an idiot for not making that clear. But yeah, thanks to alpha darkwolf for the fabulous name! And read on for the climax of _Firesoul..._  
><strong>

**I, like, really don't own HTTYD. If you haven't gotten that by now I'ma hafta kill a b***h.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

**Water Turns to Bone**

Astrid kept looking down instinctively. She could see the shadow of the Bewilderbeast under the water. Every now and then it blew little shards of ice to the surface, and the sheildmaiden could hear the bubbling crooning rising out of the violently heaving water. Hiccup was smiling broadly, and Toothless kept making unnecessary loop-de-loops in mid-air. But Astrid knew that smile would fade. She looked down again and then _she _smiled. With the Stormy Bewilderbeast following him like a baby yak, Hiccup would be fine.

The novelty of approaching Berk from the sky was starting to lose its glamour. It had happened once too many times, and each had been followed with grief. Hiccup must have been thinking the same thing; his eyes were staring straight ahead with a fixed resolve. He raised a hand and signalled them to drop low to the water. A large amount of swearing followed as the inexperienced riders behind them nearly plunged into the water. There was a thick layer of spray rising around them, and Astrid had to admire Hiccup's tactics. This way, it would be harder to spot them approaching. Excellinor would expect them to swoop in from the skies.

"Stay low! Sound your positions!" he hissed. The other men quickly sounded off and Astrid almost laughed at how similar this sounded to that trip the Berkians had taken to the Dragon's Nest after Hiccup had left Berk. But it had been Stoick calling then, from the lead boat.

The sea-spray whipped into her face, stinging her eyes. She had to keep blinking to clear her vision. The wind currents, this close to the water, were treacherous; more than one Viking had to be fished out by his companions when a dead drop unexpectedly sucked him into the swell.

And then they found the glacier. Hiccup suddenly shot skywards; a split-second change in direction, Toothless completely parallel with the glacier. Astrid narrowed her eyes and followed. Termagant had to rescue one of Egbert's men who had flown straight into the glacier like an idiot. When they finally cleared the top of the glacier, the shouting began almost immediately.

"They're back!"

"Get the witch!"

"Arm yourselves!"

Hiccup grinned. The panic had been his plan.

"DRAGON RIDERS! ATTACK!" he bellowed.

And all Hel broke loose. Dragons swooped in every direction; villagers let out whoops of joy and snatched up weapons. Hiccup and Astrid rocketed towards the cove; within moments the trapped dragons had been freed. Cloudjumper roared in triumph and threw himself skywards. Grump spat a blob of lava and buzzed after him. And the last dragon…

"I'm sorry, Skullcrusher." Hiccup said quietly. "It's my fault."

The dragon didn't even seem to deny it. He just bowed his great head to Hiccup and flew away. Hiccup climbed back into his saddle.

"We need to find Excellinor. The others will take care of her men."

o~0~O~0~o

It didn't take much to find Excellinor. Typically, she was the one crouched on a clifftop, shooting arrows in every direction. She didn't seem to care who she hit; not even her own men were spared. They landed on the clifftop behind her, and she only half turned around before Hiccup reached her and planted his one good boot on her face. There was a _crack _as her bow snapped cleanly in half against the ground.

"Give it up, Excellinor!" Hiccup snarled, drawing Inferno. Excellinor spat and threw away the broken weapon.

"You… are _so difficult to kill,_ you know that?" she hissed angrily, standing up and nursing her apparently broken nose.

"One of my better traits." Hiccup responded. Toothless let out a rumbling growl, and Astrid flipped her axe in her hand. "You should know that you're not the first person who's tried to kill me. And _he _did _not _come out on top."

Excellinor sneered.

"You couldn't kill a Terror," she snarled.

"Quite right." Hiccup said lightly. "You, however, I'm pretty sure I could _manage._"

And there it was; that vengeful wolf stare. Astrid had the sudden feeling that Fenrir himself was the one guiding Hiccup. And it was her hand in the wolf's mouth. She had to pray that he wouldn't bite down.

Astrid heard footsteps and turned. Behind them a figure was approaching. Valka. She was wearing her dragon helmet, the one that still chilled Astrid whenever she saw it, although Valka clearly hadn't had time to don her armour. The rider had her staff in hand, and she held out an object to her son. Hiccup's dragon mask. The thing had sat in the corner of his room for years, gathering dust, abandoned in favour of the less frightening one he now used. But he let the new mask fall and took the old one. He looked at Excellinor and tied it on with a single deft movement.

Astrid knew the difference. He wore the new mask as the Nightstalker, the pride of Berk. There were names all over the archipelago for the man in the dragon mask; most born from fear and hatred. The Vigilante, the Dragon King, the Clawed One. Valka stepped forwards, and Excellinor had the look of a cornered animal.

"Coward! Fight me one on one, like a real Viking!" she screeched.

Hiccup laughed coldly, green eyes glittering behind the eye slits like… like a dragon's.

"Like you fought my village? Like you shot my people while hiding up here? Like you attacked _me _and left me on a boat in the Winter Wind? If that's your definition of Viking, then I've been right all along. I'm no Viking."

Excellinor suddenly lashed out. Before Astrid could blink, the witch had somehow grabbed the end of Valka's staff, torn it from her grip, hooked the end around the woman's throat and torn her forwards, one of the arrows in her fist pressing against the yellow fabric of Valka's shirt. She tore off the blue helmet and threw it over the cliff.

"You don't value your honour as a Viking, then. How about your mother? Should she join the others of your dragon-riding friends?"

Hiccup yelped. "What?"

Valka was the one who spoke, her voice gravelly and grave.

"Idris. And… and Snorri. She killed them both. Fiske… he's not doing so well."

It was then Astrid saw the thin trail of tears leaking out of the woman's eyes.

"That's right!" Excellinor sneered, having found her leverage. She threw the staff towards and Hiccup instinctively grabbed it. He took a few steps backward, to the edge of the cliff that protruded over the ocean. He held the staff in two hands, extinguishing Inferno and letting it drop. "Now, if you'll surrender, I'll leave your mother alive. I might even leave your island, provided you leave me with the Night Fury Alpha."

Excellinor was grinning, like she knew she'd already won.

Hiccup suddenly lifted the staff and slammed it against the rock. The noise it made was shockingly loud, a clacking rattle, and Astrid flinched.

"Over my dead body," he snarled, before spreading his arms and leaning backwards off the cliff.

"Hiccup!" yelped Valka, before letting out a pained whimper. The arrow was cutting into her skin; Excellinor's grip had tightened in surprise.

Toothless wasn't even whining in horror. He looked perfectly calm, like… like it was part of the plan. Astrid stumbled to the edge of the cliff and looked over in panic.

Hiccup had flipped mid air, his hands wrapped tightly around the staff. He hadn't even opened his flight suit. He was still heading downwards, towards the ocean, which was bubbling and frothing…

And then a shape broke the surface, propelled upwards with a shocking force, high enough for Hiccup lash out with the staff and catch one of the tusks and stop with a jolt, high enough to clear the clifftop. Valka drew in her breath as climbed up the staff and onto the tusk, holding the length of wood high. The Bewilderbeast landed heavily on the cliff, staggering slightly. Its legs were clearly not designed to land from a jump. It probably wasn't meant to jump at all. Hiccup rotated his shoulder, grimacing, before leaping neatly off the tusk to land on the clifftop. Valka's eyes were alight with joy, despite the fact her body was rigid with apprehension, the arrow still pressed into her back.

"Is that a…" Excellinor was speechless.

"This is the Stormy Bewilderbeast. He'd shake hands, but…"

Astrid snorted. Humorous to the last.

"No… no… it was dead! Your Bewilderbeast was dead!" Excellinor yelped, eyes wide. The Stormy Bewilderbeast cooed happily and spat something onto the ground. Valka's helmet. It was covered in dragon spit, which Astrid thought was disgusting but Valka apparently saw as a great honour, because she made a noise of awe and appreciation.

"Here's a clue; _dragons lay eggs. _That's why the King always sat in the same spot. His egg was there."

Astrid suddenly knew what was going to happen before it did. Excellinor spat in fury and a slight tone of suppressed fear, her arm twisted savagely, and Valka cried out in pain. The rider was thrown roughly to the side, Excellinor's arrow protruding through the left side of her midriff, groaning in pain. Astrid ran over and dropped to the woman's side. Dark blood was blossoming across the yellow cloth. Hiccup let out a feral animal roar of rage, slightly muffled beneath his mask, and leaped down from the Stormy Bewilderbeast's head, staff held behind him threateningly. The Bewilderbeast let out a torrent of ice, sealing the battlefield in. Hiccup swung the staff at Excellinor, who realised a moment too late that she had just left her only weapon embedded in Valka's stomach. The staff connected with a sickening _thud _sound, and the spikes around the outside came away wet with blood. Excellinor grabbed her arm, where the puncture marks were dripping. She tried desperately to parry a second swing; there was a snap, a howl and her wrist was hanging at the wrong angle. A third swing connected sharply with her leg, and the witch staggered backwards desperately, shrieking. A small, bright yellow dragon zoomed to her side, but the Stormy Bewilderbeast lifted a foot and crushed it savagely to the ground. Excellinor backed away further, the cliff approaching. The Bewilderbeast let loose a jet of ice, but Excellinor ducked frantically. Hiccup stepped forwards, eyes cold.

"Get off my island," he said, and swung the staff once more.

The Stormy Bewilderbeast's roar was so ear-splittingly loud that not a single person on Berk could hear Excellinor's scream as she plummeted to the ocean below.


	11. Life Goes On

**AN: UBER IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!**

**As you probably already know, the Dragonheart saga is planned to be a trilogy. The third in the series, ****_Scalesword,_**** has been started, and I am very, very conflicted about how I want it to end. So, I have set up a poll on my profile. This poll will end on the THIRTEENTH OF DECEMBER (according to Australia time) and if you want to have a hand in the ending, please vote. This saga has really made me happy to write, and it will probably even spawn some spin-offs. (you know you're besotted when you start thinking up AUs of your AU!)**

**-Me**

o~0~O~0~o

**Chapter Eleven**

**Life Goes On**

Astrid's breath froze in her chest. Hiccup stood alone on the edge of the cliff, the cold breath of the Stormy Bewilderbeast swirling around him, the staff in his hand dripping with blood. When he turned back around, the tiny part of his eyes that was visible behind the eye slits in his mask were burning. Astrid was surprised that they hadn't turned yellow. She felt sick. Hiccup was a pacifist! For Thor's sake, he was afraid of blood! And yet, he had just killed someone! He stumbled closer and Astrid flinched despite herself. Then he pulled off his mask, and after a moment he seemed to sag.

"Odin's ghost…" he whispered. He let the staff fall to the ground with a dull _thunk _and dropped to his knees beside Valka.

"Mum… oh gods, mum…"

"I'm… I'm okay, Hiccup…" she got out. "I… I don't think it's too bad…"

"We need to get her to Gothi," Astrid told Hiccup. He nodded dully and placed his mother's limp arm over his shoulder. Astrid did the same on the other side.

"Where's Cloudjumper?" Astrid suddenly noticed the absence of the enormous Stormcutter. Why hadn't he come running at his mistress' call?

"Mum… I'm sorry… I got blood on your staff. It's going to be hard to get off… it'll be even harder to get it off my conscience…"

And it was then that Astrid realised Hiccup was crying. His shoulders were shaking, and he was completely silent. Astrid didn't know what to think. Which Hiccup was this? The grieving, guilt-ridden pacifist? Or the wolf-eyed, vengeful demon she had seen on the clifftop? She didn't know.

o~0~O~0~o

"She'll be fine, Hiccup. And it's good to see you; you gave us quite the scare!"

Gobber had wrapped Hiccup in his beefy arms, and the boy was silent.

"You've saved us all again… how many times is that, now? You're quite the hero!"

Hiccup pulled away and looked at Gobber with a tortured expression.

"No," he said, leaning away. "What I did wasn't heroic. It wasn't even decent. I killed someone, Gobber. That's not what a hero does. I… I guess I'm not the peacemaker I thought I was. I'm a monster."

"Hiccup…" Astrid soothed him, but Gobber waved her down.

"There's a word for what happened, you know," he said kindly.

"Evil? Violent? Bloodthirsty?" Hiccup suggested miserably.

"No. They call it _going berserk."_

"As in, Dagur? That's even worse."

"No, Hiccup. Some Vikings, when they were in a life-or-death struggle, they'd go berserk. They'd be about to die when it'd happen and they would end up winning. They were the bravest warriors on the battlefield; if they saw a berserker, even the bravest Vikings sometimes fled in terror. Yes, most berserkers _are _in the Berserker tribe, but not all. It's a rare gift outside of Berserker Island."

"So now I have to worry about turning into a psychotic feral killer every time I get in a fight?"

If possible, Hiccup looked even worse.

"Why are you so thick? No! Most berserkers, like Oswald, they only went berserk when someone they loved was threatened. Hiccup, she stabbed your mother! Of course you were going to lose it! You shouldn't beat yourself up over it."

"Gobber…"

"Hiccup," Astrid said softly. "What he's trying to say is, you got even. Revenge isn't always a good thing, but letting Excellinor get away with what she did would have been worse."

Hiccup looked slightly calmer, but confused.

"How come it's never shown before now? Why didn't I go berserk when Sonja died? Or when Drago tried to kill me?"

"That, I can't answer. But you're Hiccup. If we could answer everything about you we'd probably all live boring lives."

Hiccup smiled slightly before blanching.

"Oh, gods, I completely forgot," he said. "Fiske. What's happened to him? Cloudjumper? The other Vikings?"

"Come on, chief," she said, offering her arm. "Let's go lead the village."

"But _I'm_ the chief. You can't tell me what to do!" he complained jokingly. Astrid grinned.

"_I _can't. _Your wife _can."

He looked at her, one eyebrow lifting.

"Are… are you saying…?"

Astrid swatted his arm.

"Get a grip! Of course I am, don't make me repeat it!"

Hiccup beamed. "I suppose the village needs something to look forward to…"

o~0~O~0~o

"Someone get Cloudjumper out of those bolas! Bucket, Spitelout, you two are in charge of getting Excellinor's men off the island. Hoark, did any of ours die?"

"No, chief,"

"Good. Find somewhere to bury Excellinor's; it doesn't have to be on Berk. Use dragons if you need to. And Egbert, I need to thank you. Without you, we wouldn't have been able to beat Excellinor's men."

"Thank _you_, Nightstalker," the chief replied happily, his khaki Nightmare rumbling contentedly behind him. "This has been an honour."

"No problem. Are you all alright to make your way back to your island?"

"We should be fine, Nightstalker."

"I guess this is goodbye, then."

Hiccup held out his hand formally, but Egbert grabbed it and pulled the Berkian into a tight hug. Hiccup looked distinctly awkward. Astrid smiled and turned towards where Fiske stood on the docks. He was hugging the two heads of the Seashocker he had shared with his brother, tears in his eyes. Then he unstrapped the saddles and the Seashocker crooned before it slithered off the dock into the ocean. The boy turned towards her. Astrid said nothing, just wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

o~0~O~0~o

"Are you ready, Fiske?"

The young man turned to her. His eyes were watery, his face painted in his customary maroon and orange war paint. Astrid took his hand and led him outside, to where Stormfly was waiting. Her scales were painted with white blobs resembling clouds, and a round yellow sun was painted on the top of her head. Astrid had let Fiske use her dragon for the ceremony. She helped him onto Stormfly's back and he ran a hand over her scales. Then Astrid handed him two things; one of Hiccup's fire-lighting devices and Snorri's mask.

Across the square, Valka was handing Hiccup Idris' mask, and he looked at it despondently. Toothless ruffled his broad black wings, which were speckled with white dots. A crescent moon could be seen around one of his great, green eyes. Valka waved a hand at Astrid and gave her a thumbs-up, and Astrid looked back at Fiske.

"It's time," she told him, stepping back. He nodded silently and Astrid bowed him forwards, the Nadder taking her place beside Toothless on the wooden platform. Valka limped up to the platform, and waved for silence. The village obeyed.

"Vikings of Berk!" the dragon rider yelled. "Today we mark the death of two great warriors! These two helped keep your chief alive for three years; they were more than his shield-mates. They were his friends. They were _my _friends. Today, we remember them!"

The crowd cheered back, and they all mounted dragons, whether they owned one or were sharing with someone else. Even Mildew was climbing atop one of his Whispering Deaths, albeit crossly. Each Viking had a glittering dragon scale in their hand.

Astrid joined Valka on Cloudjumper's back, and looked at Hiccup. Toothless and Stormfly spread their wings and brought them down with a leathery _snap_. They spiralled upwards, and the crowd followed the night-and-day painted dragons. Cloudjumper hurtled into the humming throng of flying reptiles, and when she had a clear shot, Astrid pegged her green scale into Idris' basket. Valka quickly tossed her black scale into Snorri's. Dragon scales were shooting across the sky, landing in the two Dragon Racing baskets mounted on a huge wooden pole. Then the dragons all took a metaphorical step back, and Hiccup and Fiske lit the leather masks in their hands. They lit with a flash; both had been coated in Nightmare saliva beforehand. Then the two dropped the burning masks into their corresponding baskets, and Astrid could swear when the flames reared higher there were two faces framed in the light.


	12. Just With You

**AN: Oh, come on. Four people have voted? ONLY FOUR? Seriously?! Please vote, guys. So far everyone's voted on 'Happy Ending' (sheesh, you guys are no fun~) but I might end up maiming someone because I'm EVIL.**

**But yeah. Vote, please, so I can write the sequel. I'm also thinking that once I'm done with ****_Scalesword _****I might do a prequel, covering the three years Hiccup spent in the Dragon's Den. It would show life on Berk, the fight with the Red Death and how Valka and Hiccup met the other dragon riders, as well as developing Sonja's character more. It's terrible; my favourite of the OC Riders and the one with the best design is the only one we never meet. But I'll shut up now~**

**Here's what you've all been waiting for- ZE WEDDING! I've rewritten it with a truckload of info from dyannehs on tumblr. Holy bleep, I had to try to write this chapter while skirting around the really dirty stuff that happened in the wedding prepartions, and trust me, it was NOT easy. This chapter has _heavy insinuations of sexual activity. _Nothing actually described or written, I'm not THAT twisted. Don't say I didn't warn you...**

**o~0~O~0~o**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Just With You**

"Alright," Valka grinned. "That's for me to take,"

Astrid grudgingly held out her hair fillet, and Valka took it and bustled off towards a cupboard Astrid hadn't even noticed before now.

"Okay. Time to go to the bath house," Phlegma said brightly, and Helga Ingerman swung open the door. Astrid stepped through and immediately noticed Snotlout whipping past the house carrying what suspiciously looked like a sword, closely followed by what appeared to be his father painted like a _draugr._

"What the Hel is he doing?" Astrid wondered. Valka snorted.

"Giving your husband-to-be a hard time,"

"What?"

"That's the Haddock family sword. Hiccup has to find the damn thing once Snotlout's done with it. Stoick had to break into his uncle's grave to get it when we were married."

"That's just disgusting. What's with Spitelout?"

"Hiccup has to fight him to claim the sword afterwards,"

"I'm not even going to pretend to understand that," Astrid shook her head in confusion.

"I'm not too impressed with the idea of my nephew beating up my husband- or vice versa," Ingrid Jorgenson added, hefting a wooden chest.

"Hopefully not 'vice versa'," Valka muttered.

"Don't worry about it." Helga patted Astrid's shoulder as they walked. "My boy Fishlegs' just getting it from his father, and he has to sit through the entire family history before it gets handed over." Astrid shuddered at the thought.

Valka held open the bath house door for her, and Astrid stepped self-consciously through. The door slammed and Astrid jumped violently at the sound. Phlegma snorted, and Astrid gave her a withering glare in response. There was a large hole in the wooden floorboards where the water rippled beneath for bathing. She felt slightly awkward as she stripped off and practically leaped into the water, and Valka, Phlegma, Helga and Ingrid sat on the side, tipping jars of sweet-smelling oils from Helga's box into the water.

_This can't be good for my skin, _she thought as she ducked her head under the surface, tugging out her braid. When she surfaced Ingrid gave her a wicked look.

"Now we get to the fun part. You want to make Hiccup happy, right?"

"Uh, no kidding," Astrid responded, slightly lost. _Huh? _she wondered.

"Now we get to share our tips and tricks," Valka said, a positively evil grin lighting up her face. Astrid still felt like she was missing something, and it must have shown in her face, because Phlegma made an obscene hand gesture indicating something Astrid would rather not think about.

Understanding hit her like a runaway wagon and she paled.

"Oh, no," she said.

o~0~O~0~o

"Never, I repeat, _never, _do that to me again," Astrid snarled as she wrung out her hair. Valka smiled.

"It's okay. You'll appreciate it once the actual wedding's over," she said brightly. Astrid smacked her on the arm.

"I don't care. That was disgusting. I do _not _need to know what you guys get up to when your kids aren't around. Gods, I think I'm scarred for life."

"Please," Phlegma said dismissively. "No-one actually follows the wait-until-marriage tradition anymore. You can't tell me that you haven't done it before"

"Probably with my son," Valka added passively.

Astrid glowered and stayed silent, sullenly wrapping her bust back in its bandages.

"Told you," Ingrid grinned. Astrid punched her.

"Anyway," Helga quickly intervened before the aggressive Jorgenson turned the punch into a free-for-all. "I have your dress here."

She dug around in the chest she had and first dug out a camise, allowing Astrid to slip it over her head. Then she pulled out a dress. No, that didn't do it justice. A _stunning _dress. The majority of it was a rich brown, reminding her of the colour of Hiccup's hair in the sunlight, but the pointed neckline, sleeve edges and bottom hem were a gorgeous royal blue. Astrid excitedly dove headfirst into the dress, sliding her arms into the sleeves, grateful for the warmth after the cold bath. They were tight at the top, but wide at the bottom. It took her a moment to realise her hands were meant to go through the open seam rather than a bell-shaped sleeve. Valka guided her hands through the openings while Helga pulled lacing at the back tightly closed. When Helga stepped back Phlegma tied a girdle of the same blue of the hems low around her hips, tying it loosely at the front.

"Wow," Astrid breathed, looking over the dress with its fitted bodice and neat stitching. There was suddenly a hissing sound from behind her, and she turned to see Phlegma poking a bunch of metal rods into a brazier of coals that had not been there a moment ago.

"What are you going to do, torture me with them?" she asked.

"No!" Ingrid protested. "They're for your hair! To make it curly, haven't you ever seen them?"

"No. They are instruments of torture, not tools for fashion," she said, although she was smiling at Ingrid's indignation. She waited, extremely twitchy, as her hair was wrapped around the sizzling metal rods. Steam hissed from her damp hair, and she didn't like the sound it made. There was a sharp yelp followed by a swear as Helga accidentally burned herself on the rod.

"You alright?" Astrid asked quickly. Helga nodded and stuck her finger in her mouth.

o~0~O~0~o

There were people _everywhere._

Vikings from all over the freaking archipelago had come to see the wedding. The sun was shining quite brightly, although a few dark clouds threatened rain just to annoy the island.

There were still a few crates being carried to the Great Hall; one man dropped his and citrus fruits spilled everywhere. Johann cuffed him over the head and scrambled to recover his fruit. She turned back to Phlegma, who gave her a reassuring smile.

And then the time came, and three men were wrestling a goat, a horse and a sow into the middle of the congregation, a sacrificial knife held tightly in the bony, arthritic hands of Gothi, who was standing before the congregation. Her husband Hof stood beside her, dressed ceremoniously for the occasion. A few gossiping Vikings shuffled aside and Astrid caught sight of him.

Dressed in a russet-coloured bilaut trimmed with slate-gray, he caught her eye and lifted a hand in greeting, and Phlegma dragged her through the crowd to stand opposite Hiccup, Spitelout and Snotlout. Several boxes containing Hiccup's _mundr _were perched precariously on top of each other; although now that she looked, Astrid's own _heimen fylgia _was almost as dangerously arranged in their ornamental wheelbarrow.

"Would it be bad if that fell over?" she muttered. Phlegma shrugged as Spitelout and Hiccup hefted the boxes and offered them to Phlegma and her husband. The crowd fell silent, watching with eager, hawklike eyes.

"I offer these gifts, in compensation for taking your niece Astrid as my wife," Hiccup said formally, and the boxes were lifted out of his arms. Astrid stepped forwards to stand beside him, buzzing with excitement. This was it!

Gothi and Hof stepped forwards, and Hof spoke in his sonorous voice as Gothi neatly slid her knife across the animals' throats- the goat for Thor, the sow for Freya and the horse for Freyr. Astrid tried not to roll her eyes at Hiccup's sudden fidgeting.

_Goof, _she thought fondly as Hof dipped a bundle of firs into a bowl of water resting on a nearby table, sharply spraying the water on them in the shape of a hammer. She jerked reflexively as a drop flew in her eye. Then both Astrid and Hiccup reached behind them, grasping the hilts of their respective family swords, which had two carved metal rings around the pommel, and gently swapped the blades, sliding their rings onto the third finger of their left hand.

_Why does he get the pointed pommel? _Astrid thought enviously. Trying to get the ring onto the round pommel of her own sword was a pain in the neck. She looked down at the ring she wore. By the looks of it, it had been handmade by Hiccup himself- she recognised his distinctive style. Carved into the ring- he must have used a wire while the metal was still hot or something- was the shape of a Night Fury coiling around to touch its nose to its own tail.

"Time for the race," Hiccup grinned. "See you at the hall, milady,"

Vikings bustled to line up, and Valka strode alone the line using her staff to smack any toes poking over what she deemed to be the starting line. Then she brought the staff against the ground with a loud _crack._

There were flying feet everywhere. Two Vikings fell flat on their face; Tuffnut shoved another's helmet down so he couldn't see. Astrid bent low and gave Hoark a sharp rap on his ankle, and he yelped and dropped. Fishlegs, predictably, lagged at least three metres behind.

_Holy Hel, _Astrid thought, stumbling painfully over a fallen helmet. Hiccup was outstripping every Viking by a _lot. _There was a huge gap even between him and Snotlout. _Even with only half a leg, he's the fastest runner on this island._

She arrived, panting, at the doors of the hall a good twenty seconds after her husband. He offered her his hand, looking happy and, Astrid thought, a little smug. She looked at him and he raised an eyebrow, and she snorted and took the proffered hand, walking side-by-side into the hall.

_Please don't let me trip, _she thought, wincing slightly as she put weight on her sore ankle. Then they crossed the threshold and stopped in front of a supporting beam marked with several deep cleave-marks, Hiccup pulling a sword from a new scabbard strapped to his thick leather belt. He raised it, then drove it into the wood with more force than Astrid would have thought possible for him. He released the hilt and the blade quivered but stuck strong, and the crowd cheered. Astrid's heart rose and she snatched up the bridal ale with more gusto than was probably necessary, slopping a bit out of the mug as she plonked it in front of Hiccup. Other Vikings bustled around retrieving their own alcohol. She sat next to him, wrapping her fingers around her own mug, and he grinned apprehensively before they both downed the mead. Then Hiccup dropped a hammer in Astrid's lap, tracing a symbol in the air.

Then, with a cheer, the other Vikings in the hall skulled the contents of their mugs and all Hel broke loose.

o~0~O~0~o

"Ow," Hiccup muttered, bumping hard into the doorframe as he made his way into the house. Fishlegs, Snotlout, Spitelout, Fishlegs' father, the twins' father and Gobber followed him in, a lantern hanging off of Gobber's hook and glowing cheerily. Astrid perched apprehensively on the edge of the bed like some sort of bird. The robe she was wearing was a little uncomfortable, but a slightly perverted part of her brain reminded her she wouldn't have to wear it for long. Hiccup reached out with both hands, and Astrid snorted as he almost poked her in the eye, lifting the annoying veil covering her face. All six of the men behind them peered at them.

"Definitely her," Snotlout announced, sounding slightly conflicted. Astrid was pretty sure she knew why and wondered just how drunk Hiccup had been when he had put Snotlout on the list of men.

"Right. We'll clear out, then," Spitelout told them, winking at his nephew. Hiccup turned to watch them leave, and then turned back to his wife.

"Alrighty then," he said, and unbuckled his prosthetic.


	13. Epilogue

**AN: So, my friends, here is the epilogue. But the story's not quite over yet; I've stolen a leaf from Angie Sage's book and am including a page about what happened to all the people we didn't cover in the story. Enjoy!**

**o~0~O~0~o**

**EPILOGUE**

Astrid, Valka and Hiccup stood on tiptoe on the docks, watching as Trader Johann's boat drew in.

"Come aboard!" he shouted to the crowd, and Hooligans flocked onto the decks. Astrid stepped forwards, humming contentedly, the unique token of marriage Hiccup had made gleaming on her third finger. She heard Johann's voice boom in delight.

"Master Fiske! It's been too long, my boy! I do enjoy your stories; they're almost as amazing as my own tales! Have you got any more for me?"

"I've got another about the Nightstalker," Fiske replied. Hiccup groaned dramatically and tried to turn and flee, his red chief's cloak fluttering with the motion, but Astrid seized him around the waist.

"Not a chance," she admonished. "You're the chief. You should have been the first on that boat."

"Another?" Johann was piping happily. "Will I get to meet the famous Nightstalker this time?"

"Oh, please, Johann," Valka laughed. "You've known him for years. In fact," she paused for a moment, thinking, "I think you were on this island when he was born!"

Johann blinked.

"Oh, stop torturing the man," Valka smiled, brushed Hiccup's cloak off of his painted shoulder guard, and pushed him forward.

Johann blinked again.

"Hi," Hiccup said awkwardly.

Johann found his voice and positively exploded. "_Master Hiccup? You're _the Nightstalker?"

"Also known as the Pride of Berk, the Dragon Master, the Brother of the Night Fury, the Chief of the Hooligan tribe and _my husband,_" Astrid wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Johann stepped forward and prodded Hiccup's chest.

"Can I see the sword?" he asked. Hiccup groaned.

"What is everyone's fascination with the sword? It's a tool for dragon taming, not a weapon,"

But he obligingly lit the blade, and Johann's eyes widened to the size of a Terror's.

"What an amazing invention! I mean, your 'spyglass' was one thing, but this?"

Astrid laughed and fell in with the crowd, and didn't even punch Snotlout when he took the dagger she had been looking at. She was in an amazing mood. She found a large pile of cloth, presumably from the islands to the south, where there were a number of talented seamstresses, and swapped one of Hiccup's handmade swords for them. Then she wandered back to the house to put them away in her wooden chest.

o~0~O~0~o

It was almost two hours before Astrid heard a knock on the door. She pranced over, humming happily, and opened the door only to be squashed flat by Hiccup.

"What happened?" she groaned, helping him up. He was leaning heavily on her shoulder.

"I broke my leg," he said.

"_WHAT_?" Astrid yelped, holding him at arm's length. "What happened?"

Hiccup hopped over to the table in the centre of the room and sat down heavily, then unscrewed his prosthetic. He poked it lightly- for some reason it was on ice mode- and it flicked abruptly to dragon-riding mode, then to walking mode, spasmodically alternating between prosthesis.

"Oh," Astrid groaned. "You broke your _leg. _Ha ha."

He clicked open the mechanisms and stuck his finger in them, biting his lip.

"There we go," he said, pulling out a small object. "There was a rock stuck in it."

"Um…" Astrid said, feeling suddenly, joyously awkward as Hiccup strapped his prosthetic back on. "I need to ask you something."

"Yep?" he said distractedly. Astrid beamed.

"How good are you with children?"

"Um… okay, I guess, why? Does 'Magnus' need help with something? Or have the Laustson kids-"

He stopped abruptly and slowly turned to look at her.

"Astrid," he said tentatively, biting his lip nervously, "are you…"

He gestured vaguely, and Astrid lifted an eyebrow.

"You know," he said louder, gesturing more. He didn't seem to be able to get the word out. He finally wrapped his tongue around the word.

"_Pregnant?_" he whispered tentatively. Astrid looked at him and nodded.

"Oh, my gods," he said, leaning back in surprise. Then, louder; "Oh my gods! Astrid, are you serious? Are you sure?"

"Yes!" she cried in joy, and he laughed, two sharp barks of laughter reminiscent of his father, and wrapped his spindly arms around her. They were laughing, and a tear slid out of her right eye.

"How long have you known?" he asked.

"Since this morning!" she said wildly. "Your mother figured it out!"

"Oh Thor," Hiccup's face went suddenly serious. "I'm going to be a father,"

"You'll be fine," Astrid reassured him. He looked at her wildly.

"No, you don't understand! I… I'm going to be a _dad, _Astrid, me! I mean…" he suddenly looked skywards guiltily, "I… I mean, I didn't exactly have the best of role models when I was young! What… what happens if I can't do it?"

"You'll be fine, Hiccup." she said soothingly. "You'll be the best father in the archipelago. I promise."


	14. What Happened To

**WHAT HAPPENED TO:**

**ASTRID**

Astrid spent her time being quite the wife. Vikings in the village joked that it was back-to-front; she was the brave warrior and Hiccup was the housewife. She was not impressed when she found out that being pregnant involved having to wear 'girly clothes' and a distinct lack of her favourite activities- axe throwing, dragon racing and any kind of sporting activity at all. She took it in her stride- albeit grudgingly- and soon gave birth to a little girl named Magnhild. She didn't stop there; within three years she was pregnant again, this time with a chubby boy whom they named, loyally, Stoick II. And, true to her word, she slept beside their cradles every night with her axe held close.

The Haddock household basically became the Home for Orphaned Dragons. Within a year they had a Terrible Terror with a missing wing and a Lead Speed Stinger with no stinger to call her own. The village was particularly apprehensive about Pangora, the Stinger, but the surprisingly soft dragon was smitten with Astrid and refused to do anything against her. She caused no trouble to the village, and turned out to be a great courier of messages, as long as the message was sealed away from the blistering wind. Astrid even tried riding Pangora once- and staggered back into the house with a smouldering skirt, chaotic hair and the worst windburn anyone on Berk had ever seen. She did not repeat the experiment.

**HICCUP**

Hiccup adapted fairly well to being chief, although some in the village didn't. His methods were unconventional; when Astrid wasn't confined to the house she served as a second-in-command, and truth be told she was pretty good at it. The villagers joked that the Haddock household was the wrong way around; Astrid was the Viking warrior and Hiccup was the housewife. No-one actually said it in front of the chief, but word got around. Hiccup took it graciously, although the joking abruptly stopped when Hiccup took to wearing a proper sword strapped to his back. He had been warned by Gobber that the flimsy, hollow frame of Inferno would be hopeless in a real fight, and a chief had to carry a chief's weapon. Turning down the hammer that was twice the size of his head, Hiccup chose a sturdy Gronckle-Iron blade he called Endeavour.

A year after the defeat of Excellinor, Spitelout prompted Hiccup to start planning his personal Berk flagship, as was tradition. The results were startling; he designed a longship adorned with a figurehead carved from the tusk of the Muddy Bewilderbeast, which had just been left abandoned in the harbour for four years. The figurehead was carved in a frightening likeness of Toothless; albeit stylized to scare the Hel out of anyone who saw it in the fog. He also spruced it up with several of his own innovations, including an extra set of wing-like sails. He dubbed the boat _The Valkyrie, _although the reluctant crew on the first voyage nicknamed it _The Valhalla Express _instead. The ship's voyage was quite the success, making it to Dragon Island in record time, despite Hiccup's clear distaste for ships in general.

**THE STORMY BEWILDERBEAST**

After two months it was glaringly clear that the Stormy Bewilderbeast could not stay on Berk. It was causing the tunnels beneath the village to cave in, and rockslides were common. It was growing at an alarming rate, more than four times its hatching size. After one particularly nasty incident where the Bewilderbeast nearly plummeted to its death off a ninety-foot cliff, rescued only by the quick thinking of Hiccup, the Bewilderbeast took up a position in the seas around Berk. Sometimes of a night-time it could be seen on one of the rock formations jutting out of the ocean, looking very serene indeed. Unfortunately, the Stormy Bewilderbeast developed a habit of following _The Valkyrie's Run _every time it left Berk waters, which always unnerved the oarsmen. On the upside, when Hiccup had his first run-in with a rather violent dragon-rustling ship, the Stormy Bewilderbeast erupted out of the ocean and sent them running like children. Tuffnut humorously nicknamed the Bewilderbeast 'Doomfang', and after that there was no stopping the dragon from following them like an overprotective demon, no matter how stupendously large he grew.

**EGBERT AND HIS MEN**

They were delighted when Trader Johann arrived on their shores telling stories about the Warriormen who had flown into battle with the Nightstalker, and wasted no time in informing Johann that they were the Warriormen he had been talking about. Johann didn't quite believe them until Egbert's enormous Typhoomerang showed up; after that he steered clear of the subject. Egbert's men did a decent job of looking after their dragons, but at one stage the Typhoomerang set the entire village alight in a temper tantrum- Egbert wouldn't let it out of the stable to go flying. They called an emergency meeting and agreed that it was best to release their dragons into the wild. They never forgot their part in the battle, though; in fact, they even changed the name of their tribe for it.

**ERET AND HEATHER**

The two were left rather awkwardly after the battle with Excellinor- it hit them hard that they may as well have painted 'UNTRUSTWORTHY' on a shield and carried it around for the rest of their lives. Hiccup surprised them; after the ceremony for Idris and Snorri, he led them to the cove where Skullcrusher and Bladewing were waiting. Heather was smitten with Bladewing's big, innocent eyes, and even more so with her prankster's personality. The two got along quite well, and even joined in with Dragon Racing for a while…

Ruffnut was enraptured with Eret, much to the man's irritation, and it culminated in the night his temper finally broke and he punched her in the face. Tuffnut was not impressed and threatened to beat up Eret until Hiccup stepped in. Surprisingly, Ruffnut was still determined to catch Eret… that is, until she found out he was hopelessly in love with Heather.

**TERMAGANT AND EELNOSE**

The two were quite pleased at Excellinor's death, and even went as far as congratulating Hiccup- which irritated him to no end. However, Termagant decided her dragon-riding days were over, and released Scorchfang into the wild with the statement 'I can't claim to own him. No one can.' Eelnose held onto Daydream though, and Toffa the seamstress would not shut up once she found out Daydream had no canine teeth. She kept calling him the Fangless Daydream, and in the end Daydream decided this was so enamouring he started to prefer Toffa's company over Eelnose's. He took it well, stating that since they were going back home anyway, Daydream had best stay here. The two left Berk with the promise of keeping an eye out for anything amiss in their village; Excellinor never had believed in half-measures.

**Valka**

Valka recovered quite well from her injury. It was luck, pure and amazing, that stopped the arrow from puncturing anything important. She was completely smitten with the Stormy Bewilderbeast, and Fishlegs actually caught her hugging one of its tusks after she was allowed out of her bed. She said nothing about the bloodstain on her staff, instead doing her level best to scrub it off when Hiccup wasn't around.

**FISHLEGS**

Fishlegs was overjoyed when Hiccup told him that he was now in charge of the expansion of the Book of Dragons. Right away, the chubby Viking took off in pursuit of new species, Meatlug by his side. It didn't take him long; he discovered three new dragon species, including the Razorhorn, the Howlercane and the Shadecutter, within six months. He was very proud of his achievements, and Hiccup was very impressed with his discoveries. Fishlegs was even happier when Ruffnut finally realized that Eret wasn't worth her time and turned to Fishlegs for comfort- which she got. Lots of it, to Snotlout's disappointment.

**TUFFNUT**

Tuffnut had long since reconciled to the fact that he would never have a date. Not only was Astrid the only girl he actually could marry, but he didn't particularly like her spiky personality. She wasn't nearly fun enough. Instead, he 'liberated' one of Hiccup's old sketchbooks and began work on one of his more destructive inventions. Hiccup bitterly regretted the day he sketched out the idea for the Explosive Catapult and the smoke bomb. What he kept completely quiet was when he discovered he had a green thumb. For the first time in his life, he made something rather than destroying it- a greenhouse on the other side of the island. He filled it with every plant he could find, but never mentioned it to anyone. He preferred to keep his popularity.

**FISke**

Fiske, understandably, took the loss of his brother Snorri quite hard. He spent almost a month shying away from the village, looked after by Toffa. After releasing Thunder and Lightning, he told himself that he would never again train a dragon, but he was proved wrong when he single-handedly trained a raging Sword Stealer that nearly destroyed the entire village and rescued an unimpressed Hiccup stuck to the dragon's stomach. The dragon was besotted with Fiske, and he reluctantly accepted the dragon as his own, naming it, with great imagination, Fafnir.


End file.
